


Growing Pains

by The_Intuitive_Special



Series: Growing Up Haddock [7]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Gang Violence, Hormones, Puberty, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, loss of limb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-12
Updated: 2016-02-12
Packaged: 2018-05-19 21:38:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 199,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5981743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Intuitive_Special/pseuds/The_Intuitive_Special
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Growing Up Haddock Story 7: Life for the Haddock family has been turbulent over the last year and a half but things get more complicated when a lot of mysterious accidents start to plague the village. Is it just bad weather and unruly dragons or is there something more sinister at work?</p><p>Only HTTYD and Riders/Defenders of Berk are canon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hushed Voices

_This is Berk._

_We may be small, but we are strong. And I'm not just talking about the dragons we adopt into our families. We have a full armory all ready to retaliate if we get attacked. We have hundreds of men and women trained in combat just in case something happens._

_But strength is about more than brute force. Strength isn't always something you can see on the outside. The strongest man in the world can appear to be small and clumsy. And the weakest can have bulging muscles. Our strength comes from within. It comes from those we love and our willingness to stand for what's right._

_Unfortunately, a lot of people seem to forget that fact. And it's up to all of us to remind them of what it means to be strong. Even if they don't want to hear it._

* * *

CLANG!

Fearless Finn Haddock jumped back instinctively as sparks flew from the sword he was fixing. He peered intensely at the weapon in his hand, trying to figure out if he was finished getting it in the right shape or if he needed to pound it some more. He was getting better at making that distinction but the smoke and the heat from the fire was making him feel a tad lightheaded. Shaking his head in an attempt to clear it, he peered at the red hot metal until its light started to put a giant blue splotch in the middle of his line of vision.

Anyone else in Finn's position would have taken a well deserved rest. But not him. The boy had been up since dawn and he hadn't set foot outside the forge except to use the outhouse. And whenever he did that, he had to squint to block out the exceptionally bright rays beating down on him from the hot sun. And then it was back to work, his body dripping with sweat, his hands covered in bandages to protect them from the many dangerous tools he worked with day in and day out, his undershirt sticking to his skin almost like it was glued there.

And Finn simply _loved_ it. He loved the loud sounds of the crackling fire, bubbling water and metal, clanging of the tools... honestly, if his parents didn't make him take weekends off, he'd be here every single day.

"Well I see you're in the zone. Again." came a voice from across the room. "Don't come over here, I'll carry these ridiculously heavy boxes all by myself."

Finn, used to his mentor's sarcasm, hastened over to help lighten the load. Gobber smiled appreciatively at him.

"You're all right, Fearless Finn." he said cheerfully, ruffling the boy's hair and then making a face at the sheer amount of sweat dripping off his fingers.

Finn grinned impishly at his mentor's look of disgust. "Don't worry, I bet it's good for your skin."

"Don't sass me." Gobber retorted, looking rather amused. "Like father, like son."

"Not really." Finn said hastily. "I'm much better at this than he ever was."

"Ahh you've got the muscles for it." Gobber patted Finn's shoulder. "But you could do with a bit more ingenuity. Now why don't you take a break?"

"A break?" Finn acted as if this comment had offended him. "You're crazy. I just got started!"

"It's two in the afternoon!" Gobber narrowed his eyes at his apprentice.

"Yeeees." Finn stretched out the word, his grin widening.

"So eat lunch." Gobber insisted. "Or I won't let you come in tomorrow."

Finn grumbled but obeyed, grabbing his bag of food and walking across the room with it.

"Ah ah! Outside!"

"What's wrong with in here?"

"You stink."

"That doesn't stop you."

Gobber gave his apprentice a look that wasn't quite dangerous yet but Finn knew it would be soon. He quickly scrambled to his feet and exited the forge.

It felt like he had stepped into Asgard itself. The sun's rays seemed to blind him. Summer was definitely descending upon Berk and Finn didn't like it one bit. Aside from his birthday, he hated everything about summer. He hated hail for obvious reasons, the heat for making the forge even hotter, and the sun for scorching his skin, making his freckles far more pronounced, and his making his hair so brightly red that he could be easily spotted even from hundreds of feet above the village. But, he had to admit, being able to leave the forge in nothing but an undershirt and shorts was rather convenient.

"Well look who decided to emerge!" a cheerful voice rang from across the village square.

Finn looked over, his face twisting into a satisfied smile as he watched his girlfriend hurry over, her short blonde hair bobbing behind her head.

"I'm here under protest." Finn explained, a mischievous glint in his eye. "But I have to say, coming outside was worth it for the attractive atmosphere." he gazed up and down Helga Ingerman's figure almost hungrily.

"I'd say the same but you look like you just dove into the lake." Helga made a face. "And you smell like my brother's used socks."

"Ahh good, I was hoping you'd notice my change in cologne." Finn quipped. "All part of what makes me so sexy."

"You disgust me." Helga giggled, taking a step back when Finn leaned toward her for a kiss.

"I can live with that." Finn narrowed his eyes. "Well if you won't kiss me, give me a hug."

"No!"

"How dare you reject the advances of a future chief!" Finn puffed his chest out. "You are not fit to be a  
Hooligan."

"So make me leave." Helga crossed her arms and stared into his eyes unblinkingly.

"Make me make you."

"Make me make you make me."

"You know what?" Finn mock sighed. "I'm feeling generous today. But next time I see you, I'm getting that kiss."

"Bathe and I might enjoy it." Helga winked at him. "Put on cologne and it could be... international."

"You know I always like to experiment with other cultures." Finn tittered as his girlfriend walked away, his eyes fixed on her swaying posterior as she went.

The Haddock boy eventually decided that he wanted to eat his lunch in the cove today. He strutted into the village square, his head held high and a smirk on his face. Several children scurried to get out of his way as he approached. He wouldn't have stepped aside even if they hadn't.

When he reached the edge of the square, he turned to look at the people he had just passed. A few children met his eye and immediately looked away, two of them actually trembling as they gathered their toys and made a break for it. Finn felt a rush of satisfaction.

Perhaps eating lunch outside _had_ been a good idea after all.

* * *

Adrianna Miracle Haddock was more impatient than she'd ever been in her entire life.

Her fingernails were chewed until they couldn't be chewed anymore. Her bright green eyes glanced upward at the slightest movement. Her long blonde hair flipped around when she turned on her heel to continue her pacing. She made small groaning noises almost every time she looked in the sky and saw nothing on the horizon.

"Adrianna, maybe you should sit down." Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, who was starting to feel rather dizzy as he watched his daughter's constant movements, gestured to the empty space next to him on a nearby bench.

"No." Adrianna replied shortly. "I'll can't stay still."

"He'll be coming whether you're nervous or not." Astrid Hofferson Haddock reminded her with a small smile. "And besides, you've gone to visit him every other weekend for the last year. Is this really so different?"

"Of course!" Adrianna began to bounce on her toes as she continued to gaze into the sky. "He never comes to Berk! What if he doesn't like it?"

"Doesn't like Berk?" Hiccup laughed, shaking his head. "Berk will seem like paradise compared to where he's coming from."

"You don't know that!" Adrianna said in an increasingly panicky tone. "You've only met him twice!"

"Yes but he's made his opinion of Allie the Insincere rather obvious." Hiccup replied calmly. "And we've gotten along swimmingly."

"I know, but he's still- oh my gods!" Adrianna squealed and put her hands over her mouth. "I think that's him!"

Hiccup and Astrid looked up to see a red speck on the horizon that was slowly approaching the island. Adrianna ran her fingers through her hair, adjusted her headband, and smoothed out her shirt and trousers. She folded her fingers in front of her chest and forced herself to stay still as she endured every agonizing second of the Changewing's descent. It didn't take long for its rider to come into view. The teenage boy was tall with tanned skin and brown hair. While not muscular per se, he did appear to have strong arms and legs judging by his grip on his dragon's reigns. His posture was casual and the smile on his face indicated that he was every bit as happy to be there as the Haddock girl was to see him. The moment he landed, he ran up and threw his arms around her.

"Nani!" he exclaimed as he nearly crushed her in his arms. "Gods, it's good to see a pretty face again."

Adrianna blushed scarlet and bit her lip bashfully. "Likewise." she said in a timid voice. The boy raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, not pretty! I mean not that you're not good looking but I more or less meant to say han-" she stopped when he placed his pointer finger on her lips.

"I know what you meant." the teenager said playfully.

"It's nice to see you again, Brandyn." Hiccup walked up and held out his hand, which Brandyn enthusiastically shook. "All packed up, I see." he added, nodding to the bags tied to the Changewing.

"You know it!" Brandyn laughed and sauntered over to his dragon. "Had to get off that sorry excuse for a territory as soon as possible!"

"I don't blame you." Hiccup walked over with him, his giddy daughter excitedly following. "Welcome to Berk!"

"Thanks!" Brandyn patted his dragon on the head. "It's all right, Syd," he said in a soothing voice, "you'll be able to lie down in a second. Hey," he turned back to Hiccup, "I don't mean to speed things up but my dragon buddy needs a drink of water and a nap. Do you have a pen or something?"

"I can do you one better." Hiccup gestured for the teenager to follow him. "We've got your house all ready. The pen is pretty standard but there's room for you to play around with it some."

"Sweet!" Brandyn exclaimed. "Lead on!"

"You're going to love it here!" Adrianna skipped merrily along beside him, causing him to chuckle. "Lots of dragon stuff going on and sports and books and it looks really pretty in the winter with all the snow."

"Bet it'll pale in comparison to some of the prettier attractions on the island." Brandyn winked at her and she giggled.

"Ah ah, no starting that up again!" Hiccup warned the boy, who merely huffed a bit.

"Aww but chief!" Brandyn whined. "It's not my fault your daughter's so cute!"

"He's got a point." Astrid said, nudging her husband. "She does have your face."

"Very funny." Hiccup deadpanned. "But keep it clean, you two, or Brandyn's going right back where he came from."

"You don't have to worry about that." Brandyn clapped Hiccup on the back. "Your girl's off limits until further notice, I know."

"Good you remember." Hiccup narrowed his eyes at the boy, who only smiled wider. "But I mean it."

"Of course you do." Brandyn smiled cheekily at the Haddock girl. "There'll be no funny business. We're just friends, right Nani?"

"Oh... yes." Adrianna pointed to a small house. "There it is."

"Ooh, I get a garden and everything!" Brandyn clapped Hiccup on the back again. "Clearly you've pulled out all the stops."

"It used to be a guest house but it needed a bit of fixing up so we thought you'd like a project." Hiccup told him as he opened the wooden door.

There were only three rooms in the house. The main one had a fire pit and places to put cooking ingredients and supplies. A small couch was placed against the wall. The doors to Brandyn's washroom and bedroom were on a wall to the left.

"Home sweet home!" Brandyn exclaimed excitedly. "What do you think, Syd?" he turned to his dragon, who cooed contentedly. "Looks like we're all set."

"Great! We'll leave you to your unpacking. I've got a village meeting I've got to prepare." Hiccup patted Brandyn on the back before turning toward the door.

"Hang on, there's a meeting?" Brandyn raised an eyebrow. "What sort of meeting?"

"Ahh, well..." Hiccup scratched his chin idly. "Honestly, this place is usually pretty peaceful but there have been some.. incidents."

"Such as..."

"You don't need to worry about that right this second. I imagine Adrianna'll fill you in after the meeting." Hiccup opened the door.

"Hang on, if this meeting is for the residents of Berk, I want to go." Brandyn hurried over to the doorway. "I live here now. Might as well, you know."

"That's really nice of you, Brandyn, but I imagine you've got a lot of unpacking to do." Astrid spoke up. "Besides, these meetings tend to run long. Our chief is a real rambler."

Hiccup narrowed his eyes at his wife, who merely grinned mischievously at him. "Well..." he turned back to Brandyn, "if you're sure you _want_ to go..."

"Absotively." Brandyn nodded vigorously. "I can unpack any time. But a big important meeting? Can't miss out on that!"

"Okay well it'll start in about half an hour. Adrianna, you can show him where the Great Hall is. If you need anything, just holler." Hiccup nodded to his daughter and her friend before leaving the house, his wife at his heels.

"I'm really proud of you." Astrid said the second they were outside.

"Proud?"

"You handled a guy flirting with our daughter extremely well." she put an arm around him as they walked toward the Hall. "I'm glad you're letting her grow up."

"More like I trust her not to do anything stupid." Hiccup said shortly. "She's a smart girl."

"Yeah, she is." Astrid slid her hand down and slipped her fingers between his. "And you two _will_ be best friends again."

"Do we have to talk about this now?" Hiccup tightened his hold on her hand. "I've got a lot of work to do. And even if I didn't, these always end up being circular conversations that never solve anything."

Astrid reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "I know. But they're still conversations worth having."

"Doesn't make it hurt less." Hiccup mumbled.

"So I think you should start off the meeting with the farming stuff." Astrid said briskly. "Don't want to go into all the heavy stuff right away."

"Right." Hiccup cracked a smile at his wife's abrupt subject change. She could always tell when he needed to focus on something else. And this was definitely the time to put his mind on other matters, even for a short period of time.

* * *

"Woah," Adrianna's eyes widened as she stared into a small box she'd retrieved from one of Brandyn's bags. "That's a lot of rocks."

"Hm?" Brandyn sauntered over and peered at the box. "Oh yeah. Don't laugh but I like to collect them. Anything that looks interesting. Like that one," he pointed to one on the side, "it's almost the exact shape of a Gronckle, don't you think?"

"Yeah, it is." Adrianna picked up the rock to inspect it. "Weird."

"Yeah, they're cool." Brandyn took the book out of her hands. "But don't tell anyone I'm that much of a dork."

Adrianna rolled her eyes. "You're not a dork."

"Says you." Brandyn placed the box on a shelf before turning back to the Haddock girl. "So tell me a bit more about Berk. Anyone here I need to look out for?"

"Finn." Adrianna replied shortly. "And anyone he hangs out with."

"Yeah, I kind of figured." Brandyn sat down next to her. "Hey, what about Morgan and Taryn and all them? Do I get to meet them or did you just make them up?"

"Oh yeah, of course." Adrianna gave him a very fake smile. "Sure thing, I'll introduce you to them after the meeting."

"Nice. This day keeps getting better and better." Brandyn narrowed his eyes at her. "So why the long face?"

"Why the... what do you mean?"

"You're not a very good actress, Nani." Brandyn said, fixing her with a very penetrating gaze. "Something's not quite right about that pretty smile of yours."

"I..." Adrianna swallowed and finally allowed her false smile to melt off her face. "You know, none of them are as... interesting as you. I don't know, they were the best I could do if I needed someone to talk to."

"Ahh, they'll lighten up." Brandyn said reassuringly. "I'll make sure that they do. he stood back up. "As long as I finish off this unpacking, that is. Boring!"

"I'll say." Adrianna cracked a small but very genuine smile as she stood up to continue to help. "Oh my!" she exclaimed after opening the closest box. "I'm sorry." her face went scarlet as she immediately shut it.

"Ahh discovered the skivvies box, have you?" Brandyn chortled as he sauntered over and picked it up. "I can unpack that one just fine by myself." he added as he tossed it into the open doorway to his bedroom. "Not that I'm ashamed of my skivvies of course."

"Why would you be ashamed of them?" Adrianna peeked inside the next box she opened and was relieved to see it full of clean shirts.

"Ahh yeah, I guess it's not shameful as much as awkward. Don't want everyone to know how big they are." Brandyn grinned cheekily at her.

"Why would that matter?" Adrianna asked, eyebrow raised.

"Oh nothing." he said hastily just before clearing his throat rather loudly. "Sorry, I just say the first thing that pops into my head sometimes... but don't worry about it." Adrianna noticed his cheeks go slightly pink before he turned away.

"So are you sure you want to go to the village meeting?" Adrianna asked him as she began putting the food he'd brought along into cupboards.

"Well if I'm going to be living here, I need to meet everyone and learn what it's like to live here." Brandyn replied with a shrug. "Even if the chief is long winded at times."

"You don't know the half of it." the Haddock girl grumbled.

There was a long pause as the teenagers continued to put things away and unpack the contents of the boxes Brandyn had brought along. Adrianna found herself feeling extremely uncomfortable after a few seconds. Silence was usually a bad sign when she was spending time with a friend. She was happiest when discussions moved fluidly from one topic to the next but to not have anything to say... now _that_ was uncomfortable. But just as she was about to make an excuse to head up to the Great Hall a bit early, Brandyn turned and spoke to her.

"Nice headband."

Adrianna looked up. Brandyn was leaning against the door frame and staring at her with a smile on his face. She felt heat rise to her face.

"Thanks."

Brandyn's eyebrows furrowed. "How come you stopped wearing flowers?"

"What?"

"Flowers. In your hair. You used to wear them. What happened?" Brandyn's eyes refused to waver as he stared at her.

"That was a long time ago." Adrianna straightened her headband. "Why are you asking this now?"

"Well when we visit each other, you've always got your hair up so of course you're not going to have a flower in it. It'd blow away." Brandyn furrowed his brow. "I didn't realize you stopped wearing them altogether."

"Well... that was kid stuff." Adrianna shrugged, irritated with her face at retaining its heat. "Figured I might as well dress like people my age."

"The headband looks nice." Brandyn reached forward and tucked a few flyaway strands of hair behind her ear. Adrianna felt her knees weaken slightly. "Red suits you." his eyes flitted to her shirt. "Green too. You look a lot more grown up."

"I probably look like a Snoggletog tree." Adrianna quipped with a half smile.

"Nah, you'd have to be wearing loads of colorful jewelry to look like that." Brandyn straightened up again. "So what time is this meeting?"

"Probably soon." Adrianna said, straightening her headband and running her fingers through her hair. "We should go. Well I mean we as in both of us, I mean, we don't have to go _together_..."

"I would be honored to take you." Brandyn reached out and opened the front door. "After you, milady!" he mock bowed, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Adrianna giggled and walked through the door, Brandyn following. As they walked to the Great Hall, the girl clasped her hands behind her back and listened to her friend's excited chatter with a smile. She hadn't been so excited in a long time. Her best friend finally lived within walking distance, her birthday was coming up, and she was finally accepted by her peers. Life was definitely...

Her eyes locked onto a head of wavy blond hair walking just ahead of them. Her stomach lurched and her heart felt suddenly constricted. She gritted her teeth and looked up at Brandyn, who didn't seem to notice her change of expression. When she finally looked ahead again, the blond head had disappeared into the crowd of Berkians filing into the Great Hall.

Yes, life was definitely improving but it was far from perfect.

* * *

Inga Jorgenson absolutely hated village meetings. They weren't very frequent but every single one was so boring, she could barely keep her eyes open. Putting her cheek on her fist and her elbow on the windowsill of a small window, she stared outside at a cluster of Terrible Terrors who were fighting over a loaf of bread they had undoubtedly pilfered from someone's food storage. Something about working together as a village to fix a few issues in public buildings. Talking about community. Inga could practically recite Hiccup's speeches as if she herself had written them. The hot Hall was beginning to make her feel lightheaded. The red Terror had the bread, a yellow one pounced on it, a green one used the commotion to sneak the bread away from the other two, they noticed and leaped on him. On and on it went, Hiccup's droning voice in the background, a few nods and words of assent from the crowd. Oh _why_ was she now required to attend these now that she was older than ten? Ten wasn't nearly old enough to benefit from any of this. And eleven, Inga reasoned, was scarcely more than ten. She watched jealously as a few nine-year-olds snatched the bread from the Terrors and hurried away, their gales of laughter echoing in Inga's ears. Two years ago, she'd have been among them.

Stupid meetings.

The Jorgenson girl might have fallen asleep had Hiccup not changed topics the moment her eyes fluttered shut.

"We could chalk the damage at Mulch and Bucket's barn to some unruly dragons and the storm that blew in last week except the same damage seems to have happened at Hoark's." Hiccup was saying in a clear, crisp voice devoid of its frequently sarcastic tone. "I don't know what that means, exactly, but if anyone has any questions, concerns, or information, I'd like you to speak with me about it promptly. Whatever is going on is interfering with these families' lives and they need to get back to work without having to worry about unforeseen damages." the Hooligan chief concluded.

Damages? What was this about? Inga scanned the crowd with her eyes and realized with a jolt that a lot of them seemed concerned about the chief's most recent words. What sort of damages was Hiccup talking about?

The meeting ended soon after that and Inga immediately hopped out of her chair the moment "you're dismissed" escaped Hiccup's throat.

"I don't know, Heather," her father was saying, "I went by Hoark's the day before his shop was damaged and everything looked fine. And if dragons did it, there would have been scorch marks."

"You don't think someone actually destroyed these buildings intentionally, do you?" Heather asked, looking concerned as she glanced around at her fellow Berkians.

"I'm not saying anything. I'd have thought the Thorston twins might have had something to do with it but they always get caught." Snotlout said grimly. "Maybe it was our twins."

"Vidar and Dustin were among the first people to help Hoark clean up." Heather reminded him. "Not exactly something one does after one has caused the damage in the first place."

"Guess we'll just have to keep an eye out." Snotlout said as he allowed Heather out of the door ahead of him.

Inga hung back for a while, watching her fellow Hooligans leaving the Great Hall and talking in hushed tones. She furrowed her brow. She didn't like it when her people were this worried.

As she looked around, she was slightly alarmed to see that the only people who didn't seem to be at all concerned about the damaged property were the people close to her age. She wondered how Finn, who she had noticed nodding in agreement toward the beginning of the meeting, could be laughing and play fighting when there were real problems to address. It was like he didn't care at all about his own future tribe. And Adrianna, she was too busy talking to a tall, handsome teenager Inga had never seen before. Even the Thorston twins looked concerned so why didn't the youth care at all that there was a chance their tribe was being destroyed from the inside?

Well _she_ cared. And she was going to get to the bottom of this. She was clever. She was sneaky. She was a _Jorgenson_.

And Jorgensons never back down, after all.


	2. Familiar Strangers

Adrianna felt rather cheerful that afternoon when she made her way to the Thorstons'. She waved to Tuffnut, who was heading to work for a few extra hours. Ordinarily he wouldn't be working so hard but the reason for that was lying on the couch, smiling at the Haddock girl as she walked in.

Svala Thorston was pretty with long brown hair that curled in all the right places, brown eyes, and a graceful demeanor that offered quite a contrast to her husband's rather, well, _tough_ one. But today, like every day in the recent months, she was slightly deterred by a large, round belly- an indicator of her fourth and, so far, most successful pregnancy.

"At last!" she exclaimed by way of a greeting. "A new face!"

Adrianna grinned. "Getting tired of Tuffnut?"

"Wouldn't you if he was the only person to talk to for days?" Svala patted the chair next to the couch. "Stay a while, why don't you?"

"Sure!" Adrianna exclaimed cheerfully. She was always up to chatting with a new friend and, with very little to do in the past few weeks, Svala was rapidly becoming a good friend indeed. "I got you the books you asked for. Matilda insisted that I added this one about raising toddlers but I don't think that's a concern at the moment."

"Not yet, anyway." Svala agreed, putting the books beside the couch. "So how have you been doing? Getting to know your gentleman friend?"

"It's not like that!" Adrianna protested through a blush. "I mean, we've been writing but we haven't been together in person all that long."

"Is that so?" Svala shifted her seat to get a better look at the teenager. "I seem to remember you flying off to see him every other weekend for the last year."

"Well..." Adrianna said sheepishly. "That's different. He never came here. Never had the time. And this is Berk, I mean we've got fishing and hunting and a charming view of the ocean." she looked out the window at her brother strutting around the village square like he owned the place. "And the only problems are the pests." she turned back to Svala, who looked amused by that statement. "But beyond all that, I don't see anything that stands out or sets us apart."

"Lowest number of missing limbs in the archipelago after your dad became chief." Svala said quite seriously.

"Well that's not hard since he kind of abolished dragon fighting and everyone has had plenty of time to get used to the culture shift." Adrianna shook her head with a small smile. "I mean, how many other ways are there to lose a limb?"

"You could chop it off yourself." Svala suggested. "That would be pretty effective."

Adrianna laughed. "And stupid."

"We're Vikings. It's in the job description." Svala quipped. "But seriously, it is an accomplishment to be proud of."

"Fair enough. So now we're the safest island in the archipelago. That's an exciting distinction." Adrianna rolled her eyes. "My point is that, I guess, Brandyn's going to have to make a lot of changes to assimilate to our culture and I don't know if he'll want to."

"Maybe it's the fact that I've been cooped up here for a long time," Svala said rather knowingly, "but I think you're worth that."

"Maybe." Adrianna said dismissively. "How are you feeling?"

"Bored and ready to drop this kid." Svala patted her belly. "Tell me what I'm having, will you?"

"It'd ruin the surprise." Adrianna protested.

"But Lily's never wrong and I want to know what I'm going to painfully give birth to." she rubbed her belly and Adrianna saw a tiny movement under her tunic.

"Maybe Lily doesn't know." Adrianna said mischievously. "Maybe I'm just a really good guesser."

"Then guess." Svala grabbed Adrianna's hand and placed it on her belly. "What's it feel like?"

"Like a bag with an irate Terrible Terror in it." Adrianna joked. Svala laughed just as her baby wiggled enough for Adrianna to feel something. "Come on, you're due next week. Can't you wait?"

"I could," Svala said, her face twisting into a pout, "but I want to know before Tuffnut."

"You've asked at least a dozen times and has my answer ever changed?"

"No." Svala sighed deeply. "But I was hoping it would when you see how boring it is here and how little I have to do and, oh, come on! I just want to know which pronoun to use!"

Adrianna looked her over for a moment. Svala's eyes were wide, her expression pleading. The Haddock girl felt another kick under her hand and finally decided to give in.

"Oh all right but don't tell anyone I told you." she leaned in. "I'm making your baby a present, you know."

"What's that got to do with it?" Svala frowned.

"Everything." said Adrianna with a sly smile. "See I thought I'd make something simple. So I'm making her a little pink skirt and it's so c-"

Svala gasped loudly enough to cut her off. "It's a girl?"

Adrianna nodded, feeling very warm inside at how happy her friend looked. Svala smiled down at her protruding midsection and lovingly stroked it. She seemed more excited than ever.

"Oh, Tuffnut's going to be in for a treat!" Svala laughed. "He doesn't know anything about girls."

"Well he's about to have a very educational experience." Adrianna grinned at her.

They were silent for a moment, both feeling the baby's movements under Svala's skin. Adrianna found herself rather fascinated by the whole thing. The idea of carrying a life inside of her for nine months and then bringing it into the world both terrified and intrigued her. As she felt another movement, she finally voiced the pressing question on her mind.

"What's it feel like?"

"Well, it's probably a bit like you might imagine it." Svala explained. "At first it felt like little flutters but then they got stronger as she got bigger." she suddenly fixed her eyes on Adrianna. "But I expect you'll find out for yourself one day."

"I hope so." said Adrianna. "Maybe if I get married."

" _If_ you get married?" Svala nearly rolled her eyes. "There is no _if_ in that equation. It's going to happen. You've got a lovely personality-"

"I talk too much."

"And a beautiful face."

"Which is covered in acne."

"You've got qualities every man should be looking for."

"Yeah, every man wants a woman who almost never cleans up after herself."

"Come on, you're just making excuses." Svala placed her hand on top of Adrianna's. "You're a catch. I know I'm not exactly an authority on that since I'm obviously _not_ male but there aren't many girls out there who have the creativity and intelligence that you have. Not to mention the compassion."

"If you say so."

"I do say so." Svala patted Adrianna's hand a few times before looking over at the small stack of books beside her. "So what else have you brought? Another spaceman book?"

Adrianna smiled at her friend before turning to her books, her mind mercifully turned away from herself. She knew Svala was just saying all of those things to make her feel better and she appreciated the gesture but there was no way she could believe it. There wasn't anything special about her at all. She was kind to others because she wanted to be accepted. She was decent at coming up with stories but Berk didn't have any jobs for people with that particular gift.

She shook her head to clear it and turned to the books. She _had_ brought another spaceman book, after all, and any moment spent reading it was a moment well spent.

* * *

Erick Larson used to enjoy family parties. There was something about the laughter and the food and the conversations that made him feel like he belonged to something truly special. His father would joke with him about his mother's constant rushing around, trying to make sure everything was perfect, and Gustav was always good for a laugh. The addition of two brothers and sisters-in law, four nephews, and a niece made these parties truly fun, exciting events.

But life changed in what seemed like a split second sometimes, bringing differences to everything in its wake. The family parties were no exception. Rather than being about fellowship and closeness, Erick's mother had decided they were about-

"Organization!" Lara Larson exclaimed cheerfully as she thrust Erick to a cabinet, the top of which was covered in all sorts of odds and ends. "Make it look nice!"

Erick, who thought anything covered in children's artwork and sculptures already looked nice, frowned. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"Put anything that doesn't look nice into the cabinet!" she called as she bustled over to Nikolas, Erick's older brother. "The floor looks perfect, what would I do without you?"

"Probably criticize me some more." Erick mumbled, picking up each piece of artwork and inspecting it.

"And Mel!" he heard Lara exclaim from across the room. "You're doing a good job but a bit less frosting. There you go, perfect."

Erick stared at the clay dragon he now held in his hand. A gray lump with indiscernible shapes sticking out from all over, the only reason he knew he was supposed to be a dragon was because he had made it himself when he was about five years old. He glanced at his mother, who was beaming at his sister-in-law as she frosted a very decadent cake, and put the lumpy dragon in the cabinet.

The front door opened and shut behind Erick and he became acutely aware of little footfalls now echoing around the house. Gustav and Mikaela were here and with them came three of Erick's nephews, both so energetic that it sounded more like there was a yak stampede going through the room rather than the pounding footfalls of three little boys.

"We're not late, are we?" asked Mikaela tentatively. "I don't see anyone else here. Told you we weren't late, Gustav!"

"She said three!"

"Actually," Lara said with a small laugh, "I said three thirty. But it doesn't matter. I can always use a bit of help. A few of my helpers," she cast a withering gaze on her youngest son, "lack the energy."

Erick wanted to feel offended by these words but passive aggression was beginning to become a staple of his mother's behavior toward him. A year and a half without his father's interference in these exchanges had toughened Erick's resolve not to care that his mother didn't think much of him. He knew she never had but now she could be a bit more obvious about it.

The next thirty minutes dragged on until Erick was seriously considering running off and flying on Charger for a bit just to get out of the house. His demeanor changed, however, when his brother-in-law finally arrived.

Curt Brand, who had married Aud exactly two years ago, had thick auburn hair that fell a bit longer than Lara liked (though she never did any more than stare disapprovingly at it), large, rather round blue eyes, and always had a bit of scruff on his face. Erick liked the scruff; he thought it gave his brother-in-law a more rugged appearance and made him wonder if he could pull off the look himself but hadn't been brave enough to give it a try.

But Curt, though always quite friendly with the youngest Larson, wasn't the reason Erick's spirits lifted. Curt's younger sister Taryn followed him into the house, looking every bit as uncomfortable as she always did when in the same room as Lara. The moment she saw Erick, she hurried over.

"Oh thank gods you're here." she muttered to him so only he could hear her. "Stupid anniversary parties. Why does the whole family have to get together?"

"Torture." Erick said simply, causing her to smile. "It'll be over soon enough. Besides, I bet you don't have many awkward silences at home. This'll be a welcome change."

"There's never any silence at home." Taryn said exasperatedly, glancing at her 12-year-old brother Alton as he hung up his coat. "Not with that one around."

"Oh, I know." Erick laughed when Alton let out a shout of excitement and started tearing around the house with Gustav's oldest son. "But there's not a lot of noise here anymore so it's a good change every once and a while. ."

"I'll trade any day." Taryn said through her teeth.

"Me too." Erick agreed. "But looks like Magnus is here so we'd better go in and act like we're as excited as everyone else."

"But I am excited." Taryn nudged him with her arm. "I get to see you. That's a plus."

"Okay." Erick conceded with a grin. "When you put it that way, it doesn't sound like complete torture."

"Stop being a big baby." Taryn pushed him toward the large table in the center of the room. "It'll be fine."

* * *

The dinner was devoured, the kids were already playing outside, and the adults were, as usual, still sitting around and talking. Both Taryn and Erick knew it was extremely rude to get up from the table early but from the looks they gave each other, they knew they were thinking the same thing.

"Our moms could go on forever if they didn't need to sleep eventually." Taryn mumbled to Erick, causing him to smile.

"Well that means we'll be here for a few more hours." Erick mumbled back with a cheeky grin. "Might as well make the best of it. Want to make out?"

Taryn let out a laugh that she instantly turned into a hacking cough. "A little forward, aren't you?"

"I don't know, they might kick us out." Erick chuckled. "Just wondering if that was a risk worth taking."

"I'd really rather have your mom like me than become 'that little hussy' to women over 50." Taryn quipped.

"Yes because kissing a boy is a doorway to such dastardly activities." Erick leaned on his fist. "But you're probably right. I don't need her looking down on me more than she already does."

"She doesn't look down on you." Taryn assured him.

There was a pause in which Lara's speech drifted over to them from across the table.

"-was so proud that my daughter found someone from such an outstanding family." she was saying to Curt. "I was sort of afraid she'd wind up with that boy, remember him, Aud? You kissed him on a dare when you were seven, don't know when I saw Olaf more flustered."

"Oh yeah, Hallvard." Aud laughed at the memory. "Well I did think he was cute."

"You were cute too. Absolutely adorable. I remember telling Olaf, I said 'she's going to give you some trouble, this one, because she'll be the heartbreaker. She'll be snatched up as soon as she's of age and then we'll have an empty nest.' Of course," Lara added with a frown, "that was when we thought she'd be the youngest."

Erick rolled his eyes and gave the tiniest glare. "Okay, I think I'll go off and be invisible somewhere." He said rather loudly as he got up and stomped out of the room.

Before any of the adults could say a word, Taryn quickly got up to follow.

"You don't have to be so..."

"Abrasive?" Erick grumbled as he threw open the front door and stepped outside.

"Well... yeah." the Brand girl said, her brows furrowed.

"It'd be fine if my mom didn't like bringing up how much she'd wanted only four kids every other day." Erick shoved his hands in his pockets and kept walking. His head hung downward so that he didn't have to meet Taryn's eyes. "Not a big deal, really."

"It's not every other day." Taryn hurried her pace to keep up with him. "Don't let her get to you."

"I don't."

"Doesn't seem like it."

"Just... can you not?" Erick snapped. At Taryn's frown, he stopped and turned to look at her. "I'm not trying to... look, I just... can we not talk about this today?"

"Okay." Taryn said, holding up her hands. "Okay. Got it."

They walked in silence for a while. Taryn, feeling slightly awkward, began to absentmindedly twirl a strand of auburn hair around her finger. She let it fall back in place for a moment, before grabbing the tendril of hair nervously once again and continuing her fidgeting.

They got to a bridge high above the ocean and leaned on its edge, enjoying the vast expanse of the dark blue sea beyond them. What a beautiful sight. Taryn took a deep breath and turned to look at her friend. He seemed far away, like his mind had left this earth and had settled in the clouds somewhere high above.

"I think you're all right." Taryn nudged him with her foot, making him jump slightly and grip the railing of the bridge.

"Where did that come from?" he asked.

"Wasn't sure what you were thinking about." She replied thoughtfully. "But I do think you're worried about nothing."

"Who says I'm worried?" he blinked and furrowed his brows.

"Well," Taryn turned to face him, "it's written all over your face. Don't know why but come on, Erick. Sometimes I think you want to be permanently miserable."

"No one would ever want that." He looked away from her and stared at the ocean, trying to find a peaceful thought again.

"I know."

"So why'd you say it?"

"You don't need to jump down my throat!"

"Sorry." Erick sighed, wiping his face with his hands. "Sorry, I'm not... ugh. I don't want to be miserable. But... gods, you know, it's been hard." He took a deep breath and sighed a little.

"It's been a year and a half." Taryn placed her hand on his arm. "I know it'll probably never stop hurting completely. But... you're still here."

"Taryn... please..."

"And I think he'd want you to stop focusing on what might have been." she continued as if he hadn't spoken.

"I know." Erick rubbed his eyes. "I know all that. And I'm trying."

"You've been doing better." Taryn assured him. "I'm really proud of you." she shot a smile at him.

Erick kindly smiled at her in reply. "You always know how to make me feel better."

"I know! I really do excel at it. Must be one of my many talents." she grinned and flipped her long hair over her shoulder, intentionally hitting Erick in the face.

"Oh yes, it is quite a talent. You should start traveling around the archipelago with Trader Johann and setting up little booths." he rolled his eyes, shooting an impish smile at her.

She punched him on the shoulder, making him laugh. "That's a brilliant idea. Pack your things, I'm going to parade you around as an example of just how good I am!"

"Oh please, you don't need a model!" he grinned and stepped away from her before she could poke him.

"But I had your outfit all picked out! And I was going to braid your hair too!" she pouted in a realistic fashion but the mischievous twinkle in her eye gave her away in an instant.

"How dare you insinuate that I, a strong, manly Viking man, would ever stoop so low as to wear _braids_!" Erick flexed his muscles and shot a ridiculous smile at her, making her laugh harder. "Besides, I don't think my hair is long enough."

Taryn eyed his short blond hair critically. "Bet you anything I could braid it."

"You could pay me all the money on Berk and I still wouldn't let you braid it."

"You just watch, Mr. Larson!" she poked his chest with her pointer finger. "I will tackle you and force your hair into a braid when you least expect it!"

"You wouldn't dare!"

"And I'd put in little pink ribbons so you look even more ridiculous." Taryn crossed her arms and smirked at him.

"You'll have to catch me first!" Erick took off in the opposite direction, running as fast as he could.

"Oh no you don't!" Taryn bolted after him and chased him across the bridge and through a sunny field. She finally grabbed him and the two of them tumbled into the grass. "Just one braid? Please? Pretty, pretty please?"

"No." he shook his head, trying to untangle himself from her. They stood up and dusted themselves off, laughing uproariously. Erick glanced at the sky and noticed, with a pang of disappointment, that it was beginning to dim. "We should go back." he said, resigining himself to what was waiting for him at home. "Don't want them to have to go out looking for us."

Taryn sighed deeply, her smile ,melting off her face. "You're probably right."

Despite their previous statements, neither of them moved a muscle. Erick looked over at Taryn, who was staring into the sky. She was so beautiful when she was contemplative. It made him want to know what was going on in that clever brain of hers.

"Well..." he said through an exhale. "Maybe _one_ braid. But no bows."

"You're so generous." Taryn giggled.

Erick shrugged. "I wouldn't be a very good boyfriend if I weren't, would I?"

He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek before hurrying off toward his house. His girlfriend watched him go, her smile still brightening her face. And then she turned and walked in the direction of her own house, glad that she'd succeeded in making him laugh.

* * *

"All right Horst, let me know if you need any more help."

"Thanks, Hiccup."

The door to the leather shop swinging shut behind him, the Hooligan chief sauntered out into the busy square. People milled to and fro as usual, a few pausing to give him a cordial nod or pat on the arm. He paused to take a deep breath of new summer air and gaze longingly at the clear blue sky. How he longed for the days when his dragon would drag him out of bed at the crack of dawn and they'd fly for hours until only the call of nature could bring him down. Astrid had always insisted that food could be included as one of those important things to land for, but why would one take the time to sit at a table and eat when they literally had the world at their fingertips?

But alas, more important things had taken a hold over his life, which wasn't altogether a bad thing. He loved his job, his family, his people. He wouldn't trade those treasured things for the world—but that didn't mean he didn't sometimes wish for a _little_ free flight time. Odin knew he was only getting older and there was going to come a day he wouldn't be physically able to do those crazy stunts anymore. Hiccup shook out of his stupor at that depressing thought. He hoped that would still be a few decades away. Maybe half a century. That wasn't too much to ask was it?

Tittering to himself, Hiccup stepped further into the crowded street. He glanced around for a moment to locate his dragon, who was hopping from one roof to another as he followed his human. "Toothless, you're going to bust a hole in someone's roof." Toothless growled indignantly and Hiccup snorted, "Fatty."

Unfortunately the roof wasn't quite tall enough for Hiccup's head to be out of range for Toothless' tail. Half scales, half prosthetic slapped the chief upside the head, making him topple to the side and crash into a barrel.

"Ow! What was that for?" Toothless jumped to the ground and made a series of grunting and croaking noises in Hiccup's face, making his hair blow backwards. "Ew, would you stop that, Fish Breath? Gah!" Hiccup soon found himself on his back, gazing up at the sky. He vaguely registered a few laughs nearby. The chief huffed as he tried to sit up, "Well what do you want me to call you? You don't exactly eat roses- OWWW! TOOTH- GET! OFF!"

Only his head stuck out from one side of Toothless' rear, and his one leg and prosthetic stuck out from the other side. He squirmed and kicked, only making the occasional indent into the dirt. More laughter erupted and Hiccup desperately prayed the gods would send someone to intercede for him. Being squished into a Haddock pancake in the center square under his dragon's big butt wasn't exactly on his repertoire. He could almost hear the story passing from tribe to tribe. He'd never live this down.

"Toothless!" A familiar, particularly angelic voice sounded nearby. Hiccup stopped flailing for nearly a minute, panting. He looked up from under Toothless' back leg to see his quite beautiful wife gazing down at him with a mixed look between humor and concern. "Hiccup, why-"

"Long story. Can you just get him off of me?"

"He's your dragon, can't you just control him?"

"Control- You know how bad he is! He's like a child! He's- gah… considerably _worse_ than a child!"

"And you've raised two of those successfully. What's your point?"

Hiccup groaned in annoyance and crossed his arms. Or at least he would have if he could move them.

Astrid snickered and stooped down to kiss his forehead. "All right big boy, let him up. I actually need him for something."

Toothless instantly complied, his human gasping for air and quickly sitting up on his hands and knees. Hiccup glowered at Toothless just in time for his massive wet tongue to swipe up his face. "Ugh, thanks. I wanted to drown from dragon drool today. Or get squished under big dragon butt. What a friend," he coughed, finally standing and scrubbing his face off with a handkerchief. It was effectively sopping when he was finished, making Toothless chortle further. "Ohhh go find Stormfly and pester her. I have stuff to do."

Astrid snickered as Toothless trotted away with his head held high. "Don't be so moody."

"I'm not!"

"He's just playing. I think he finds it entertaining that even after all these years you're still the same clumsy doofus boy we both fell in love with." Astrid kissed his cheek gently then recoiled with dragon spit on her lips. "Ugh…"

"Gee, thanks. How… comforting."

Astrid rolled her eyes and steered him down the nearest ally between homes. "Anyway, I came looking for you because I wanted to ask you something."

"Mhm?"

She sighed and took a few moments to collect her thoughts. "Have you noticed just how much of a bully Finn is? To the younger kids?"

"Yes," Hiccup frowned. "I've talked to him about it already a few times, but it doesn't seem to do much good. The kids are afraid of him."

"He stepped on an 8-year-old's hand the other day."

"What?"

Astrid nodded, raising her hands to create quotations. "He claimed that 'she didn't move fast enough', but the child's mother said there's no excuse. Frankly I agree with her. I know I'd be mad if some beefy teenager stomped on my little kid's hand."

Hiccup rubbed his eyes and sighed. "So they were playing in the dirt I'm guessing, and he just barreled through?"

"Sounds like it."

Hiccup pulled his hand down his face and finally let it drop. "All right, I'll talk to him. He's getting increasingly…" He shook his head, unsure which word was the wisest.

"I know. He's at the forge so I'd go there quickly." Astrid finished. "I'm going to head home and start dinner. What time should we expect you?"

"Ah… hopefully seven?" At Astrid's frown, he back-pedaled, "Six forty-five?"

"Six."

"Six thirty."

"Six fifteen and we'll go for a late night flight."

"Deal." Hiccup kissed her chastely on the lips. "You're amazing. I'll see you in a bit."

"Okay."

Hiccup stepped back into the sun, blinking quickly to let his eyes readjust. Thankfully the forge wasn't a long walk, but he honestly wished it was further simply to give himself for more time to think about what to say. If he was honest, he was running out of things to say to his contentious son. He felt like he was trying to pull down a 7-foot wall of solid rock with his bare hands. He just wasn't getting anywhere and was only wearing himself out.

He heard the clanging from inside the forge before he got close. Luckily he knew what to expect from being an apprentice at one time himself, so he _steeled_ himself before walking inside. He wanted to laugh at his mental pun, but the sight of his son killed the humor instantly.

Gobber noticed him walk in and gave him a small smile, then continued to stoke the fire. Finn continued pounding a sword blade on the anvil with quick fluid movements as if he was born for this job. Hiccup leaned against the counter-top and watched his son intently, wishing he could have all the answers he needed.

Benen's death a year and a half ago had taken Finn down a long, hard path. After nearly two and a half weeks of staring at walls and skipping meals and all social life, Finn had suddenly bounded back into a busy life of hard work and rowdy fun as if nothing had ever happened. It was a strange thing to see someone so depressed and in pain, yet fighting _so hard_ to not let it show. Just as the teenager pounded the sword into the right shape, Hiccup had watched his son pound himself into the right shape he wanted to be so he couldn't be broken again.

He knew from experience that it was only a matter of time before he shattered.

Getting the job at the forge and working with Gobber really had been a good choice though. Hiccup believed that his son really _did_ enjoy working here. But Finn needed more than hard work to fill his days. He hung out a lot with his friends, had a steady girlfriend. But Hiccup knew his son was missing something, and the boy was just too stubborn to see it and accept it.

Finn finally straightened and wiped his face with the back of his hand, scrutinizing the blade. He turned to plunge it into the barrel of water and his eyebrows furrowed at the sight of Hiccup watching behind him in silence. "What?"

Gobber winced at Finn's aggressive tone, but stayed silent. Hiccup kept his face neutral, yet shrugged. "Just watching."

Finn rolled his eyes and plunged his hand into a barrel of dented weapons, pulling out an axe to sharpen. "Well unless I'm mistaken, you already know the trade well enough. 'fraid you won't be serving much purpose in here."

Gobber turned toward the boy with a reprimand on his tongue, but Hiccup gave him a sharp glance. The elderly man clamped his mouth shut with a grunt, stiffly returning to his work. Hiccup forced his heart rate to slow. Finn was aggressive by nature, but that didn't mean he had to respond in likeness.

"Maybe not." Hiccup ducked under a hanging pot and slowly moseyed around the forge. Finn kept glancing up at him but didn't make any effort to speak. "About the little girl-"

"Gods, not this _again_! Mom already grilled me on this, I didn't step on her on purpose!" Finn nearly shouted.

"Finn, do you really expect me to buy that?" Hiccup turned to his son with crossed arms. "You've been pushing little kids around long enough. They haven't done anything to you; they're children. And one of these days some father is going to give you a nice big shiner in that proud face of yours and I'm not going to say a thing about it."

"I wouldn't expect you to." Finn muttered with a dangerous undertone.

Hiccup's heart gave a tug, which he swiftly ignored. Finn always had this implication that he didn't give two cents for Finn's well-being, which obviously wasn't true and didn't necessarily apply to this situation. But that's where every argument always headed. That he was a terrible father.

Hiccup caught Gobber's eye from over Finn's shoulder. Instead of voicing his thoughts, he asked, "What do you think about all the damage that's happened at Hoark's and Mulch and Bucket's homes?"

Finn stopped sharpening the axe for a moment. He seemed dumbfounded that he'd been asked. "Why are you asking me?"

Hiccup shrugged lightly. "Because I value your opinion. You seemed interested in the meeting."

Finn frowned. "I wouldn't say _interested_."

"You were following along. Unless you were just nodding off-"

"I don't know… I mean, what do you want me to say? You didn't exactly give out that much information to really form an opinion."

Hiccup leaned against a table, chewing his lip. "I don't believe it was a storm. Or dragons."

"Of course you wouldn't blame dragons, they're completely innocent-"

"Oy," Gobber finally spoke up sternly, ignoring Hiccup's glare. "Not what 'e meant."

"Okay, so what else could've done it?" Finn paused with sudden excited look, then he whirled on his father with an excited look. "Oh, I got it! It was trolls!"

Hiccup sighed, "Finn-"

"No seriously, hear me out on this, trolls went in to steal people's socks. Mulch and Bucket and Horst all overheard the commotion going on in their houses, and the trolls magically stole everyone's memories! So nobody remembers that it was actually trolls." Finn snorted, "Except me, of course. You should make me chief sooner-"

"Kids." Hiccup finally snapped. Finn's smile melted off his face and he stared incredulously.

"Kids?"

"Yes, unruly kids. That's why I'm asking you-"

"What? I didn't-"

"No, I'm not accusing you of anything! You hang out with the teens all the time-"

"What a concept, dad. Because I'm a freaking teen!"

"I'm _asking_ if you have heard anything." Hiccup pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping there wasn't steam coming out his ears.

"No, I haven't!" Finn shouted. "This has just come up in the last week and suddenly you're asking me to be your little spy and infiltrate all my friends' lives? Do you want me to go around to each of them and ask them where they were on the nights of the… crimes? Assuming that's what it is? No, I'm not doing that."

"I didn't _ask_ you to." Hiccup bit out. "I simply asked if you'd heard anything. You said no, so you can drop it."

"Topic dropped. So why are you still here?"

Hiccup clenched his jaw. This was their relationship. Constantly fighting. He'd always go in with a calm demeanor until Finn grated his nerves so much where he had no choice but to get angry. He was tired of being disrespected and insulted. He was tired of walking out the door because he didn't want to say something he didn't intend to. He was tired of giving his nearly 15-year-old son the victory of winning yet another argument with his old man.

"You're mother's making dinner for 6:15."

Finn indifferently turned back to the sharpening wheel. "I have other plans."

"Not anymore," Hiccup brushed past him. "You can at least respect your mother by, for once, eating the food she made you. That alone would make her day."

He didn't wait for his son's snarky response as he stepped back outside. The sun was finally setting now, casting an orange glow against the horizon. Hiccup trudged through the square, the ire in his chest building with every step. Shadows enveloped him when he passed between houses, each filled with happy families. It was selfish of him to think that every family was eating gumdrops and sweet rolls for dinner every night and basking in the love of each other. It was selfish of him to honestly think that nobody else in the world could know what this felt like.

Without warning he turned and slammed his fist into a nearby barn. His knuckles ran into the structure so hard it sent an echo through its interior. He stewed in his anger for two more breaths before he forced himself to calm down.

A year and a half of next to no smiles from either of his kids, and if they smiled it wasn't because of him. He'd tried so hard, so many times to make them happy. But both Adrianna and Finn had locked their pains deep inside and built walls around themselves where it was hard to even approach their individual struggles anymore. Each of them needed love and attention desperately, but both continually shoved him away. They'd come to terms with Astrid over time at least, but he'd eventually succumbed to countless hours of working overtime because he couldn't stand the thought of becoming jealous that his children would talk to their mother and not him. He could only take so many slamming doors.

In an hour, he'd have to go home for dinner and hope Finn showed up. He probably wouldn't. Astrid sorely missed him spending time with them for meals. Adrianna would probably eat dinner with Brandyn, seeing as it was still his first week on the island. He wouldn't bother her. She'd ignore him most of the meal anyway. In that case it would probably be one more dinner with just Astrid. He really didn't want to complain—he loved having the quiet time with her. But it was becoming increasingly more frequent. They weren't supposed to feel like empty-nesters when their kids were only fiftteen and neither had moved out.

Hiccup jumped out of his reverie when Toothless jumped down from the roof of the barn. The Night Fury sniffed his left hand and warbled. "Yeah… punched another wall."

Toothless snorted at him as if to say, "You've really got to stop doing that." As if on cue, the dragon smacked Hiccup's thigh with his tail with finality.

Hiccup gave him a short smile and slapped his tail away. He rested his palm against his dragon's nose and scratched his scales. "They have to snap someday, bud. You can only pull a chain taught for so long." Toothless warbled in agreement and rubbed his nose against Hiccup's chest. Sighing heavily, Hiccup climbed into his saddle and strapped himself in. "Okay bud, let's see what we can get done in an hour."

Lifting off the ground vertically should have lifted his spirits. Feeling weightless in the air on his dragon's back should have been the remedy to his aching heart. But instead, the quiet of the skies only intensified the longing he had to be accepted by those he loved most. There weren't any distractions in the air.


	3. False Smiles

_There was nothing like acquiring a new job. The idea of working hard and building his muscles to the point of exhaustion had always been one of his favorite things. While most people loathed the idea of hard manual labor, Finn knew he was literally built to be a hard worker._

_The boy surveyed the damaged barn with distaste before stepping inside, stepping over a board and staring at a gaping hole in the ceiling. Something felt off about this barn in particular, but he couldn't recall what it could be… until he heard the splintering of wood coming from the boards above him._

_Finn stood entranced as cracks formed and the foundations of the building shook. He couldn't move no matter how hard he tried; his feet were glued to the ground. The barn's foundations trembled and heaved before finally, the roof caved in. He closed his eyes, waiting for the impact._

_"FINN!" A pair of hands shoved him from behind and he pitched forward into the snow. He landed hard on his belly and came up gasping. The boy whipped around and froze, staring in horror at the pile of rubble burying his best friend._

_"No." Finn scrambled forward and began shoving planks off of the pile. "No, no, no… Benen! BENEN!" Silence beneath the rubble. "No, no, please! Somebody, help! Benen's trapped! HELP!" Nobody came. The teenager shoved and hauled, screamed and kicked for what seemed like hours until he finally managed to pull his elderly friend's body out of the rubble._

_"Benen!" Finn cried, tears forming in his eyes. Blood poured from the stomach wound where Benen had been impaled, the dark red liquid seeping into Finn's pants and staining the snow beneath them. "Benen… Please Benen, don't leave me!"_

_The old man was barely breathing, staring up at Finn with calm blue eyes. Slowly he lifted a finger and pointed to Finn's chest. "Fortis."_

Fearless Finn awoke with a wild gasp, nearly ramming his forehead into his bedside table. He sat up quickly, throwing aside his blankets and shakily checking his hands and searching for anything out of the ordinary. His eyes only met his clean bedroom, a pile of laundry on the floor across the room, and a quick check at his neck to find his necklace-

Finn froze, checking his neck a second time. His necklace, the last gift he'd ever gotten from Benen, was gone.

Panic. Terror. Chaos. What was once a clean bedroom quickly turned into a replica of the Arena on a really bad day. Finn tore his bed and sheets apart, coming up shorthanded. He was near ready to start truly panicking when he shoved his bed away from the wall and nearly cried with relief: the necklace was lying on the floor just beneath where his head rested on his bed.

With trembling hands, Finn reattached his necklace and held it tightly in his fist. He sat against the wall and willed himself to calm down. As if having a nightmare… the nightmare… wasn't bad enough, some spawn of Loki's minions had to allow for his precious necklace to be lost in the same night. Figures; the gods really must hate him.

Finn wiped off his clammy forehead and shivered. He hadn't had that nightmare in a long time. He didn't know what the trigger was, but every few months it would happen—the same nightmare every time, but different variations. At first, the nightmare was exactly how it had happened. But as time wore on, he could almost forget what the real version was. His imagination had run wild over the last year and a half. The one time he'd woken up thinking he had blood on his hands was the last straw.

Keeping these things to himself, he'd go to work day in and day out like a real man should. Some mornings he'd get to work before Gobber; other days before the sun itself. One time he'd actually run into his father out on patrol before dawn. That had been awkward.

Finn snorted as he stood. "Guess we have one thing in common. We're both workaholics."

His door opened suddenly and he raised his eyebrow at his mother stepping inside. "Did you say…" Astrid trailed off, staring at his chaotic bedroom. "Something?"

"Yes- ahh no. Just… talking to myself." Finn scratched his neck.

"You keep doing that and people are going to think you're crazy," Astrid smiled knowingly. "What happened in here?"

Finn shoved his bed back into the corner and straightened the bedside table. "Necklace fell under the bed."

"Ah."

A feeling of gratefulness filled Finn's chest and he gave her an honest smile. He absolutely loved how he could explain himself in one simple phrase and she wouldn't press for details. Unlike someone else he knew…

"Well, I've got pancakes, bacon and eggs downstairs when you're ready."

"That's a lot." Finn commented as he remade his bed. "What's the occasion?"

Astrid rested a hand on her hip. "Is a mother in need of an occasion to dote on her son?" Giggling at Finn's grin, she left the room and disappeared down the stairs. Finn quickly changed clothes and tromped down the stairs after her, quickly forgetting his nightmare and horrible morning wake-up call.

His grin melted off his face when he saw that he wouldn't be having a quiet breakfast alone with mom today. Adrianna was sitting on the couch beside Brandyn, who seemed to be making himself quite at home. Both of them had plates of food resting on their knees as they talked, Brandyn's holding twice the amount as his sister. She had a delicate amount of food, probably because she thought she was sooooo fat.

Sitting at the head of the table sat his father, the official bane of his existence. If his mom hadn't made such a breakfast worthy of Stoick the Vast, then he might skip out and go to the Great Hall. But alas, he'd put up with his father for one meal if it meant keeping that smile on his mom's face.

Ignoring the love birds on the other side of the room and his father's green gaze from behind him, Finn heaped his plate high and sat down at the farthest corner away from his dad. He watched his mother pile her plate high and frowned at his eggs when she sat beside Hiccup, taking his hand and having one of those telepathic conversations. Finn spared a short glance at his father and was a little surprised at how tired he looked—but he shoved another heaping of pancakes and bacon into his mouth and forced himself not to care.

"Finn, Gobber said you don't need to go into work until noon."

Finn frowned at his fork. "Why?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Not as much work to do I guess."

"There's always work to do."

"Tell me about it."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Not what I meant."

"Someday you'll long for the days when you didn't have to work so much. I know I do." His father rubbed his eyes with his fingers. Astrid gently held his hand when it plopped back onto the table.

Finn opened his mouth to retort when the door opened and Snotlout Jorgenson popped his head in. "Chief," By the look of his face, he didn't look happy. "You might want to see this."

Hiccup groaned low in his throat before standing and grabbing his jacket. "Not even eight in the morning-"

"I know, we agreed not to bug you today but it can't be helped." Snotlout muttered impatiently.

Brandyn twisted in his seat. "Need any help?"

Snotlout scowled. "Pipe down, newbie. We don't need your help." Finn almost snorted at how Brandyn quickly deflated. He did, however, roll his eyes at his sister's pitying expression. Poor baby, how could the big mean Jorgenson speak to you so rudely?

His father kissed his mom on the cheek before following Snotlout out the door. The remaining people in the house heard him call for Toothless just as the door closed. Astrid sighed quietly and rubbed her forehead while Adrianna and Brandyn sat quietly in the living room.

Finn noisily scraped his fork across his plate, making the three jump simultaneously. "Well, that was interesting."

"Was it?" Astrid asked.

Finn stood, carrying his plate to the wash basin. "Jorgenson seemed a little flustered."

"That's Mr. Jorgenson to you, and he's always a little flustered." Astrid retorted.

Brandyn again turned in his seat to face them. "Why?"

"He's a Jorgenson." Finn remarked flatly. "All the Jorgensons are moody."

"As opposed to Haddocks?" Adrianna mumbled.

Astrid's eyes narrowed on the back of the girl's head. "Adri, don't start already-"

The male Haddock twin turned toward the back door. "Aaaaand I do believe that is my cue." Finn slung his quiver across his back and grabbed his bow, then strapped his axe to his belt. "I'm going to the woods."

Astrid sighed. "Okay."

Finn closed the back door a little too loudly and took off into the woods. He hadn't a chance to have a good workout in a couple of days, so it was actually nice to not be needed at work quite yet. He used the long, ten minute run as a warm-up until he finally arrived at his own personal shooting range. He was already hot and sweaty by the time he arrived, but he didn't mind a bit. Luckily there was a creek less than half a mile away, so he could always jump in before going to work later.

For the next hour, Finn shot arrows and threw his axe into various trees, dummies, targets he'd made, and whatever else got in his way. It was rare for him to miss a target, but he didn't stop pushing himself to his limits to see how hard he could throw, how far he could shoot. It wasn't just a desire to be strong anymore—it was an obsession to become the strongest.

Finn completed his workout with a jog to the creek, taking off his boots and washing his face when he arrived. He knew from experience that a too strenuous workout before working in the forge would make him sick. He didn't exactly feel like losing his lunch before lunch even came.

Lying on his back, he stared up at the cloudy blue sky. The sun peeked out from between the treetops every time the wind rustled the leaves. It was fixing to be another beautiful day on Berk. If only he could enjoy it.

He worked hard; he pushed himself to his limits every day; he went to bed feeling accomplished. But when he woke up every morning he felt very unsatisfied. It was a vicious cycle every day: get up, work hard, eat, sleep, get up, work hard, eat, sleep. He loved what he was doing—he loved working at the forge and hanging out with his friends. But he couldn't deny the empty feeling that he felt in his chest every morning when he woke up with too much new energy to sit still and let lonely thoughts creep in and strangle him.

He wouldn't allow himself to feel. Feelings make a man weak. Feelings are just a weakness, period. A man needs to find his strengths and work hard to hone in on those strengths so he can better eliminate his weaknesses. That was the only way to survive in a world like this, where one has a whiny, innocent twin sister, hardcore mother that tries to keep everyone happy, and workaholic father that does nothing but gripe to you about his issues.

A splash of cold water caught him by surprise and he jerked, shooting a glare towards his offender. His eyes narrowed playfully at his girlfriend, Helga Ingermann. "What're you doing, lazy butt?" She asked with a wolfish grin.

Finn stretched back out on the grass. "Jus' chillin, babe."

"You look angry."

"And you look good enough to eat. What's your point?"

Helga plopped herself beside him, sitting cross-legged and flicked his ear. "Pft. Cannibal."

"Mmmmmhm."

"Stop ogling me, you creeper!" Helga slapped him in the ribs.

Finn laughed. "Relax. Join me before I have to leave for work."

Helga sighed dramatically. "If you insist!" She twisted around and laid her head down on Finn's stomach, staring up at the sky. "So why are you angry?"

Finn huffed. "Helga-"

"Yes?"

"Ugh… I was just thinking about my family."

"You mean your dad?"

"He's not all I think about, trust me. He's typically the last thing I think about."

Helga rolled her eyes. "Well at least you think about him."

"Now why'd you have to say that?" Finn grumbled. "Now I have to work hard to not do that-"

"Seriously, why do you have to be that way?"

"What?"

Helga rolled around to see his face. She scrutinized him carefully, like he was a cod to buy and she was weighing him to be sure he'd feed the whole family. "He does a lot for this village. He works just as hard as you do every day, probably harder because he's got more on his plate. The least you could do is give him respect where he deserves it. Not many men could lead a whole village."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Not many men can properly raise children either."

Helga huffed. "Finn…"

"What? You know it's true! All he does is work, and when he is home he just mopes around about how stressed he is-"

"Do you want him to do that in front of the whole village?" Helga countered. "Honestly Finn, don't you let your guard down when you're at home?"

"No." Finn snapped. "I don't." He abruptly sat up and began pulling one of his boots back on. "Why do you care anyway?"

"Because you're my boyfriend, and you have next to no relationship with your father. I can't imagine despising my mom or dad that much. And they're worried about him, besides."

Finn's tugging slowed to a stop. "Your parents are worried about my dad? Why?"

Helga glared at him. "Because they've been friends since they were children, Finn. Everyone on this island sees how torn up he is about you and Adrianna, and you refuse to see it."

Finn shrugged nonchalantly, "So what, you're sympathizing with my dad now?"

"I can only feel sorry for you for so long. You're the only one who won't make a change. I've witnessed that man bend over backwards for you countless times to try to make amends and you won't have it."

"No-"

"Every time he approaches you he's calm and collected, and he's always upset when he leaves. You're the one being aggressive and making things difficult—"

"Did you come all the way out here to lecture me?" Finn growled. "Because I don't need it, Helga!"

"Sooo what?" Helga asked quietly. The change in volume threw him off so much he had to focus on her next words. "Are you going to shove me away too for trying to help?" Finn gritted his teeth and stared forward in the creek. He felt her move closer until she was sitting right beside him. "You can't win every argument. You're my boyfriend, my best friend. We have been for years." He felt her fingers on his cheek and finally allowed her to turn his face back to face hers. "I'm bringing this up because I care. I want you to be happy."

Finn felt himself gradually relax, though his stomach still churned angrily. Instead of voicing his thoughts and probably starting another argument, he forced himself to look calm. He kissed her gently once, then more firmly a second time, allowing her to relax against him. He almost hated making her feel like she'd won the argument because she really hadn't. But he didn't want to leave angry with her; sometimes kissing her was the only way to get her to shut up.

He leaned in closer, pushing his fingers through her hair and pulling her closer. His tongue barely brushed against her lips before she pulled back with a wild grin and he suddenly found his other boot thrown at his face.

"Your feet stink, Haddock." Helga promptly announced before standing and sashaying toward the trees. "Take a bath."

Finn watched her walk away as he tugged on his other boot and grabbed his things. "I'll only take a bath if you join me."

Helga whipped around with a horrified blush on her cheeks. "FINN!"

The teenager grinned as he stood and gestured toward the creek. "What? We've got a creek," Next he raised a hand toward the woods and the treetops, "We've got full coverage-OW!" Finn rubbed his head where the rather large pinecone had landed.

"Put a ring on my finger and I'll consider it." Helga sassed.

Finn snorted, "Yup." Marriage was the last thing on his mind. He didn't plan to get married anytime soon whatsoever. He grabbed his weapons and trotted after her. "I suppose I'll just have to postpone all the fun."

"Fine by me."

"Invitation's always op-OW! Gods, stop slapping me, woman!"

* * *

In some ways, the past year and a half had been awful to Erick. He only had his mother, who seemed to despise his very existence. He also had to live under the same roof as Nikolas and his wife, both of whom went out of their way to make him miserable. To this very day he still hadn't held a civil conversation with his childhood best friend—if he ever spoke to Adrianna it was usually short with a touch of sarcasm or cynicism, from both parties. He couldn't deny that he missed quite a few things from times gone by.

But there were some good things that he'd grown to love and appreciate, particularly with relationships. First off, he'd built a great friendship with Taryn. They'd been dating for a few months now. After his father had died, he'd been morose and solemn for countless weeks. He remembered overhearing whispers from passersby on his growing depressions. It wasn't until one day in the Great Hall that Taryn sat beside him for dinner that he slowly but surely came back to the land of the living. Grief had buried in him so deeply that he didn't realize how much he really needed a friend to help him get through it.

They started hanging out as friends in the Great Hall on a regular basis. Meals turned into lengthy conversations about everything and nothing, she'd visit him at Horst's leather shop to have the straps fixed on her saddle more times than was healthy for the material. Taryn was good for him—she was kind, smart, funny, but timid. She didn't speak up in big groups and wasn't very confident in herself, especially around the more popular kids. He found that he didn't mind though. It wasn't good to be overly confident either.

He'd never had a good or bad relationship with his 21-year-old sister Aud, either. They were simply siblings; they loved each other, but didn't spend a whole lot of time together. But after their father died, Aud seemed to take her little brother under her wing. Erick blocked her out like everyone else at first, but she was the first one to break through his shell. Out of everyone in the family, he would've thought it to be Magnus. But it had been Aud who'd gotten him back on his feet.

Now they spent time with each other on an almost regular basis. Aud had married her husband, Curt two years ago, which had been a surprise to him at first. Aud was the complete opposite of Magnus. While Magnus would spend at least half an hour in the washroom fixing her hair and smoothing out her skirts, their mother had to nearly force Aud into wearing a skirt. She'd always been running around with the boys as a little girl—the Larson's Wild Child, they called her. In a strange way, Aud sometimes reminded him of Finn—always running around doing something, always loud and obnoxious, kind of abrasive, but capable of compassion and kindness.

Well, Erick wasn't quite sure if Finn was capable of compassion and kindness. He was the kind of kid who smashed butterflies because they made too much wind as they fluttered by. He wasn't exactly known for his sweet spirit.

Between Taryn and Aud, Erick found his life tolerable. He worked from sunup to sundown almost every day. He'd spend the evenings with either Taryn at the Great Hall or her family's house or Aud's if his mother didn't demand that he stay home. Sometimes Charger would literally charge into the leather shop to drag him out for a flight. It was simple and comfortable and easy—he had no worries.

Currently, Erick was putting the finishing touches on a new saddle for one of Berk's newest dragon riders. The girl's father had put the order in two days prior and he'd asked for it to be finished in time for her twelfth birthday. At first Erick had been a little peeved at the short notice, but he found he liked the challenge. The end product was looking pretty nice besides.

Horst poked his head into Erick's shop. "I'll be heading out soon. You about done?"

"Yeah, I'll be done shortly." Erick replied.

"All right. Be sure to close the back door good and tight. We don't want anyone breaking in."

Erick cocked an eyebrow at his mentor. "There'd probably be no point in locking the door if someone was to break in-"

"All right, Mr. Smartypants." Horst chuckled as he left the room. "Be sure to douse the lamps!"

"Okay."

The blond teen heard Horst grab his bags and leave out the front door, whistling as he walked to his home a few blocks away. Horst was another person he was thankful for—calm in demeanor, yet stern when necessary, Horst had also played a huge part in getting him back on his feet. Of course, Erick wouldn't admit it to the man's face, but he almost looked up to the older man as an uncle. It just didn't seem right to label him as a mere family friend or just his mentor.

Erick chewed his lip as he worked, sewing the last loops into the leather. Finally, he sewed the girl's name into the leather just under the handlebars with extra fancy swirls. He figured most guys would laugh at his talent for "flowery" penmanship, but he didn't care. He used it for little girls' saddles and that was about it.

A knock sounded at the front doorway and Erick was on his feet without thinking. He hustled into the front room as a musical female voice called out, "Horst?" Erick stopped in his tracks in surprise.

Adrianna stood in the doorway with a tall brunet teenager whom Erick had never met before. Seeing her alone stole Erick's breath away for reasons he didn't want to count. But seeing her here in his workshop with a guy—well, if he cared at all then the idea wouldn't be that preposterous. She was a pretty teenage girl and surely she had male friends. Not that he cared at all.

"Oh." Adrianna remarked in a surprised, yet flat tone. "I…" She stole a nervous glance at the teenage boy beside her, who merely raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Adrianna," Erick attempted a smile. It felt like a grimace. "Do you need something?"

"Ah, well… it's fine, I was just looking for Horst-"

"He just left for the day," Erick shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. "What did you need?"

Adrianna took a step back toward the door, clearly uncomfortable. He held back a huff. Even when he wasn't trying to be rude, she had to run away. "It's okay, we'll just come back tom-"

"Nani, what's the big deal?" The boy spoke up with raised eyebrows. "Since he works here…"

"Yeah, since I work here…" Erick echoed quietly, scuffing his boot against a table leg.

Adrianna narrowed his eyes at him with a scowl. She took a moment to stew before turning to the tall boy. "I'm being rude. Brandyn, this is Erick. Erick, Brandyn." She didn't sound very sorry for "being rude".

Brandyn stepped closer into the shop with a wide grin and hand extended. "Ah, so you're the famous Erick."

Erick shook his hand firmly but not without calmly replying, "More like infamous, but I suppose I should be thankful for the recognition anyway?" Adrianna pursed her lips from the doorway. Erick ignored the quizzical look the other boy was giving him. "So I take it one of you has some work for me to do?"

Brandyn walked to the doorway and grabbed a saddle sitting just outside. He tossed it to Erick, who instantly took note of the damage.

"Yikes." Erick held it up in front of him to better see the acid damage. "I'm just going to go out on a limb here… Changewing?"

Brandyn snickered. "Yeah, he got a little feisty on a flight earlier today."

"One question," Erick mused in honest curiosity. "How did you manage to get a saddle burn that big directly behind your dragon's head without getting burned yourself?"

The brunet shrugged nonchalantly. "Couldn't tell ya."

"The real question is," Adrianna cut in coldly, "can you fix it? Or should we pay Horst to do it?"

Brandyn looked at her in surprise. "Nani…"

Erick met her eye and didn't think twice. "No, I'll do it, free of charge."

"What?" The other teens asked in surprise.

"And…" Erick walked to a nearby closet and dug around for nearly a minute. He reemerged with another saddle in his hands, which he tossed to Brandyn. "I'll let you use that in the meantime."

Adrianna shook her head. "This isn't your store; are you even allowed to do that?"

"As for pay, I make my own calls with my own work. And the saddle is procedure. Shouldn't you know these things, princess?" Erick turned on his heel to set the ruined saddle on an empty bench. He could almost hear Adrianna gritting her teeth as he wrote a note for Horst.

"Don't call me, princess."

Erick turned back to her with a sharp glare. "Then don't insult me on my own turf. You can treat me like dirt anytime you want, but you could've spared him the drama." Erick jerked his chin toward Brandyn, who was chewing his finger nervously.

"Oh get off your high horse, Erick, like you care about other people-" Adrianna began.

Brandyn clapped his hands loudly. "So!" He turned to Erick with a wide grin. "When should I pick it up?"

Erick breathed slowly through his nose to calm the burning ire in his chest. "When do you want to pick it up?"

"Well, I don't want to keep you from other jobs you have to do-"

"Brandyn really, work is work. Unless it's Snoggletog, I won't be that busy for a while." Erick shrugged. "When do you want to pick it up?"

The brunet looked at Adrianna in askance before making a decision. "Thursday?"

"Works for me."

"Cool, thanks man." Brandyn shook his hand again and stepped toward the doorway, sensing Adrianna's impatience.

"Anytime." Erick leaned against the doorway as they walked out. "Have a good night; don't stay out too late… yada yada."

Adrianna frowned over her shoulder. "Are you my dad, now?"

Brandyn grabbed her sleeve and dragged her away from the shop. "See you Thursday, Erick. Nice to meet you."

"You too, Brandyn. Have fun on Berk." Erick watched with narrowed eyes as the duo walked away. "While you can."

Erick turned back into the store with a huff, closing the door and quickly dousing the lamps. He snatched his coat and satchel off his desk chair and tromped out the back door, carefully locking it. A squawk interrupted his musings. He looked up to give a small smile at Charger, who jumped down from the roof and bent his big green head for a scratch.

"Hey there, big guy," Erick scratched his dragon's chin, smirking when the Nadder began pounding one leg on the ground. "Come on, we're late." He hoisted himself into the saddle and urged Charger to take off. He was thankful that Charger had waited for him today. Aud's house was on the other side of the village and the last time he'd gone over there, it had rained. He was lucky that he didn't catch a cold.

The 15-minute walk was reduced to a 2-minute flight. The smell of roasting chicken, potatoes and homemade rolls wafted from the open windows. Erick didn't realize how hungry he was. As Charger landed and he slid to the ground, Erick wondered just how his tomboy sister also became one of the family's best cooks. Magnus and Lara had admittedly good cooking skills, but Aud knocked them out of the water every time. His sister-in-law couldn't cook a potato, let alone cut one.

That was another thing they did as a way to bond: cooking. It was strange when he'd first visited Curt and Aud's house and she'd invited him to help cook dinner. The first few times were awkward because he felt like he was doing a woman's job, but over time he discovered that he enjoyed it. He remembered taking the trip with the chief, Finn, and the council a few years ago, and he and Finn had both made food a couple times for the men. They'd all been surprised at the boys' talents.

Those were the good days when he'd been friends with Adrianna and Finn, his father and Benen were still alive; The chief still smiled and didn't work himself to the bone; he had a relationship with his kids... nobody had come away from that Snoggletog unscathed, it seemed.

Erick marched inside and called a greeting to Aud and Curt while hanging up his coat and satchel. He glanced into a nearby mirror and rubbed a few dirt marks off his face with his sleeve. Adrianna came to mind again and he scowled, wondering why in the world he cared if she saw him with soot on his face or not. He'd been working so what did it matter? What did it matter what she thought anyway? He didn't care.

"You stare at that mirror any harder, it's going to shatter."

Erick smiled at his sister when she walked into the kitchen. "Just testing out my poker face."

"Uh huh," Aud smiled knowingly while she checked the potatoes and rolls baking in the oven. She glanced at Erick washing his hands from the wash basin on the other side of the room, the scowl still on his face.

Curt marched down the stairs noisily, slapping Erick on the back as he walked past. "Hey squirt!"

"Hey," Erick remarked flatly.

Aud rolled her eyes and faced him. "Aaaaall right, what's the problem?"

"Problem?" Erick asked as he dried his hands on a towel. He didn't look at her. "Who said I have a problem?"

"Your face did."

Curt snorted. "That sounded similar to a 'your mom' joke, but dumber."

"Shut up, Curt."

"Yeah, shut up Curt." Erick echoed with a smirk.

Curt crossed his arms. "You dare insult your host?"

"Hey," Erick held up his hands. "The hostess insulted the host first. And every good man knows that the hostess's word is law."

Aud chortled. "Yeah, so shut up Curt."

"Hey!"

Erick and Aud cracked up. Curt grabbed a nearby pillow off the couch and threw it at Erick, who easily dodged. He twisted the wet hand towel in his hand and gave Curt a warning glance. Curt gasped, "No, don't you-OWWW ERICK YOU LITTLE- COME HERE!"

"Hey hey HEY!" Aud shouted, trying not to laugh as they tore through the house, jumping over the couches and up the stairs. "Don't break anything or I'll slap you both with wet towels!" A loud crash and uproarious laughter was the only reply.

Erick quickly found himself in a headlock and dragged down the stairs backwards, which was a difficult feat. The victim had no choice but to trust his captor that he wouldn't be dropped backwards down the stairs to come crashing to his demise. Or at the very least into a heap of blond embarrassment. Either way, it didn't sound appealing.

"Gahh… Curt… can't breathe… ha…"

"Curt, come on, let the kid go. Mama would have my hide if I delivered him dead."

Curt pouted and released the teen, who quickly stood up with a red face. Erick hurried into the kitchen to help Aud grab a few cups that were just too high for her reach. He tried to keep his tone light, but he couldn't resist replying, "She'd probably rejoice, actually."

Aud rolled her eyes. "Erick, come on, she's not that bad."

"You don't have to live with her anymore."

"Mom isn't as kind as she used to be, I admit it." Aud pulled the rolls out of the oven, filling the room with a wonderful smell that reminded Erick of Snoggletog eve. He frowned; if only Snoggletog eve held great memories anymore. "…remember that she still loves you."

"Hmph," Erick replied noncommittally.

"Erick-" Curt rested his arm on Aud's and shook his head gently. Aud blew her blonde bangs out of her eyes but nodded. Her little brother came here to spend time with them and get away from the family stress. Of course he wouldn't want to talk about it. "Do you want to get the chicken off the fire?"

"Yes ma'am!" Erick nearly jumped out of his seat, making the couple snort.

They watched him in silence while Curt set the rest of the table. They knew Erick to be a hard worker and he was gradually becoming more social with the kids, but it had been a tough road for him the past few years. Aud wanted nothing more than to see his dimpled smile as often as it was when their father was alive and he'd spent every waking moment with his best friend. She missed his happy smile.

The trio was soon sitting around the table, joking or dodging the occasional piece of chicken or potato. The Larson matriarch really would have their hides if she'd been present to witness such an atrocity at the dinner table, but Aud had always been a rebel. Curt and Erick only followed suit.

"So," Erick stabbed a potato and studied it like it was a work of art. "When are you guys having babies?"

Curt promptly choked on his chicken and slapped a hand over his mouth. Aud smirked and clapped him on the back a few times. "Well… we're not sure. I mean… whenever, I guess. Why?"

Erick shrugged, still staring at his potato. "Because babies are cool."

"Don't you mean loud? Smelly?" Curt asked.

Aud slapped his arm. "Babies are not smelly-"

"They can be!"

"That doesn't mean they're smelly all the time, Curt."

"I think you'd make a good dad, Curt."

Curt paused in surprise and chuckled nervously. "Thanks, Erick. I… don't know anything about babies. I think I've got some stupid dad jokes hidden somewhere up my sleeve, but that's about it. Not very helpful when they're just wrinkly, pink balls of… mush."

"Curt."

"What?"

"Eh, they just take practice." Erick waved his hand. "I remember the first kid Mikaela had. I almost dropped him because he was so light."

"Yeah, he was tiny. But you know what else takes practice?" Aud shoved her plate aside and stared at Erick beadily until he made eye contact. "Relationships of the dating sort."

"Ahh, here we go: the juicy stuff!" Curt leaned forward excitedly.

Erick sighed. "Oh man."

"How's Taryn?" Aud began, steepling her fingers in front of her lips.

Erick sighed again but played along. "She's fine. She likes working with Grandma Ingerman with pottery and weaving. It's calm and she gets to talk to a lot of ladies about… womanly stuff, I guess. Whatever you womenfolk talk about."

"I second that." Curt nodded.

Aud smiled knowingly. "What else does she do?"

Erick shrugged. "Makes curtains or homemade soaps or candles… gardening, sewing… Lots of stuff, really."

"Sounds like she's a housewife in the making." Aud's eyes twinkled.

"Mmmmmhm." Curt's eyebrows danced up and down so much that Erick began to blush.

"Ohh shut up." The couple cracked up when the teenager buried his red face in his hands. A thrill of excitement ran up Aud's spine when she saw the dimples on his cheeks.

"She'll make a good wife someday," Aud patted his hand. "I'm just not so sure she's the girl for you."

Erick lifted his head with a confused expression. "I mean… I'm not exactly looking to get married anytime soon yet but… ouch?"

"No I mean… she's a great girl, she is." Aud watched the smile melt off her brother's face. "I just… feel like there's someone who balances you better."

"Like?" Aud paused, trying to choose her words carefully. Erick's eyes narrowed at her silence until he finally sat back in his chair with a thump. "Seriously? Don't go there-"

"It's been more than a year." Aud held out her hands in a placating manner. "I'm not saying that things have been easy for either of you… or that breaks can be mended in a short time. Things take time, I understand-"

"Adrianna hates me, Aud." Erick forced out, staring at the table when he couldn't meet her eyes any longer. "She's downright mean, even when I'm trying to be civil."

"You should drop some flowers off at her house one day." Curt said while checking his teeth in a spoon. Aud slapped his hand down, making Erick smile a little. "It might make her day."

Erick snorted. "She'd probably burn them at the first chance. Not that I'd actually take you up on that suggestion."

"Why not?"

"Because I have a girlfriend, Curt." Erick remarked shortly. "You don't give flowers to your… ex-best friend when you have a girlfriend."

Curt opened and closed his mouth like a fish. "Well when you're not dating then."

"Are you saying that you want me to dump your sister?"

"No! Well… no."

"Curt."

"What?" He asked incredulously. "No, I don't want that, but… I have to say I agree with Aud, not because she's the hostess and the hostess's word is law, mind you. You and Taryn have a lot of good qualities together… but the puzzle pieces just don't quite fit." He held Erick's gaze nervously. "Does that make sense?"

Erick pursed his lips to the side before dropping his eyes to the floor. "Yeah. Perfect sense. You know, the one good thing going for me is being shot down, but that's okay! It doesn't matter or anything-"

"Erick, that's not-" Aud began.

"No, you know what? No. It's fine." Erick huffed, standing and grabbing plates to take to the kitchen.

"We're not even saying that it's a bad relationship, Erick." Aud stood with him. She grabbed his hand to make him look at her. Teal eyes locked on blue. "I just… don't want you to get hurt if it doesn't work out."

Erick gently pulled his hand away and grabbed a handful of plates. "I'm always getting hurt, Aud." He swiftly took the dishes to the sink before she could comment, effectively closing the conversation.

Aud sat beside her husband with a sigh. Curt brushed her bangs out of her eyes, giving her a gentle, loving smile. "He'll be okay," he whispered.

She nodded and glanced over her shoulder at Erick furiously scrubbing a plate. "I just want to see him smile again. Really smile. Even Taryn hasn't given him that."

Curt squeezed her hand. "He's only sixteen. He's got plenty of mistakes to make before he finds his way."

Aud tittered. "He's had enough trial and error. I don't know when I got so protective of him."

"Your dad's death took a huge toll on him. And he's doing better." Curt fingered the ring on her finger. "I'm proud of my sister for stepping up and being his friend. That was all he needed, someone around his age to talk to. But… I just hope that at least their friendship will last even if the relationship doesn't."

"I think it will." Aud smiled and kissed his forehead. "Trial and error, right?"

Curt grinned. "Trial and error."

"Hey, am I going to clean up your mess all by myself?" Erick called from the kitchen.

Aud turned to him fully. "No actually, I think we were talking about going upstairs and making some-"

"DON'T SAY IT!" Erick and Curt both shouted loudly, the teenager covering his ears with wet, soapy hands.

"Hey, you brought up babies, not me." She slapped Curt's shoulder. "Why are you so upset about this?"

Curt blinked. "I'm feeling empathetic for my young friend over there!"

Aud smirked, twisting a finger through his dark coarse hair. "You should be thinking more of me than Erick-"

"Oh gods, please spare me or I will walk out."

* * *

"HICCUP! HICCUP HICCUP HICCUP HIIIIICCCCUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!"

"WHAT WHAT WHAT!" Hiccup stood up from his seat in the Great Hall, nearly tripping on Toothless' tail when Tuffnut forcefully bowled him over. The two men went sprawling head over heels, multiple council members or villagers crying out in surprise and jumping to their aid. The teenagers cackled with delight as Gobber yanked the chief back to his feet. "Owww… Gods, Tuff, what is-"

"Svala!" Tuffnut grappled with a bench for a moment before whacking his head on the table. More teenage laughter in the background erupted, but he swiftly ignored them, accepting Snotlout's hand. "Svala, baby! IT'S COMING!"

"Oh!" Hiccup nodded, slinging his arm around his friend's shoulders and steered him toward the doors. "Then why in Odin's good graces are you here talking to me? Shouldn't you be, oh I don't know, with her?"

Tuffnut jerked out of his grasp and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him violently. "I don't! Know what! To DO! MAN!"

Hiccup slapped his friend's hands away urgently. He could almost feel a blush rising to his cheeks at how hard the teenagers were laughing now. He was at least a little pleased to hear Finn's laughter mixed in with the rest of the group. The thought made him want to be a little more expressive to see how his son would react.

"Tuff, you don't DO anything!" Hiccup threw his hands up. "You just hold her hand, slap a wet cloth on her head and let her do all the work."

"Ooooooooh!" The teenagers erupted as many of the adults looked over at them with confused expressions. Hiccup glanced over in time to see Finn shake his head and take a big swig of his drink. He seriously hoped that was cider or they'd be having a father to son chit chat later on. Again.

He turned back into Tuffnut's rambling: "-told me to just hold her hand and slap a wet cloth on her forehead? That's the most insensitive thing you've ever said in your life!"

"Probably not."

"Astrid would be kicking your butt so hard right now-"

"Probably." Hiccup gestured to Snotlout to take Tuff's other side and together they frogmarched their friend toward the doors. "Now, this is your first kid and after all this time, I think the Great Hall entertaining the teenagers is probably the last place you want to be."

"Y-yeah probably… I'm just freaking terrified!" Tuffnut yanked free of their arms and shoved the doors open. "I don't know what I'm doing! I mean… all this time and it's been so long, but I honestly don't know what I'm doing!"

"Tuff," Snotlout squeezed his shoulder. "Trust me man, no matter how much advice we could give you that we probably haven't already said, you still won't feel prepared."

"They don't come with a manual." Hiccup added.

Snotlout frowned. "You basically got to watch us make all the mistakes before you have your own. You should have the perfect child!"

That comment struck a chord in Hiccup's chest. He didn't know why it bothered him so much. It wasn't directed toward him at all and Snotlout hadn't meant to be insensitive—he tended to be the most insensitive when he wasn't thinking too hard anyway. That's why Hiccup had learned early on as a kid to take Snotlout's word with a grain of salt.

But watch everyone else make all the mistakes? Perfect child? Snotlout and Heather didn't seem to have made very many mistakes. Granted, their daughter Inga still struggled with those sudden episodes that no one besides Benen could explain. Their twin boys were very much little Snotlouts running rampant around the village. Then there was Fishlegs and Ruffnut—they didn't seem to have very many issues in their family either.

His family… whew. He and Astrid had struggled since day one. How many valuable life lessons had their friends learned due to his own mistakes? How many things had they done differently than he had to have a different outcome? It wasn't a very comforting thought to consider.

They were nearly to the healer's house by now. A sharp cry of pain erupted from the house and Tuffnut gasped. "Svala!" He took off at a run and the remaining men chuckled.

"I'm happy for him." Snotlout grinned.

"Me too."

Snotlout raised an eyebrow at him. "You don't sound very thrilled."

Hiccup snorted. "I'll be glittering with joy once she's here."

"It's a girl?"

Hiccup winked and slid into a sitting position beside Toothless, who'd just arrived with a cod tail sticking out of his mouth. "Now we wait."

The men sat until darkness fell and Svala's muted cries echoed through the silent village. Hiccup judged it to be around ten thirty when her cries were replaced by the wails of a newborn. Toothless jumped up and down excitedly, bounding toward the Mara's home as fast as he could.

Hiccup laughed. "Calm down, ya big lug, that's not our baby to keep." Toothless crooned sadly. "Nope. Our time for babies is done, I'm afraid."

Snotlout snorted. "Until Finn fathers an heir, that is. Or Adrianna has a kid. Either way."

Hiccup shook his head. "Let it not be so for many years to come."

The door opened and Mara stepped outside with a bright smile. "It's a girl!"

"Ha! Told you." Hiccup smirked.

"How? I still don't get it."

"Every dragon master has his secrets. Maybe one day I'll show them all to you!" Hiccup laughed and stepped into the house.

"Oh great, next you'll be offering me a position at your side to unlock all the dragons' mysteries and find every lost species together or something."

"Ya know, if I didn't have a village to run, Snotlout, I just might take you up on that offer."

"I wasn't offering anything! That was hypothetically what you'd be offering me if you didn't have a village to run! Which I definitely wouldn't take, by the way! A whole adventure with just you and me and our dragons to keep us from killing each other? Just kill me now-"

"Snotlout!" Heather emerged from one of the rooms and he jerked.

"Babe? What are you doing here?"

Heather rolled her eyes. "I was helping Svala deliver the baby. I told you this."

Snotlout stared at her blankly. "Yeah. You… told me this."

Heather huffed, waving them through the door. "You're too loud besides. Come say hi."

Svala sat up in the bed looking exhausted and Tuffnut sat beside her with an arm wrapped around her shoulders, but both of them were absolutely glowing. Svala held her new precious baby to her chest, swaddled in a pink blanket and tracing her finger around her little face.

Hiccup didn't realize he was grinning until Tuffnut and Svala both looked up at them. Tuffnut pointed down at the baby and nearly squealed, "My baby. Guys, that's my baby!"

Everyone laughed out loud as Svala kissed his cheek. Under normal circumstances, nobody would ever witness Tuffnut cry; Hiccup couldn't honestly remember if and when he'd seen Tuffnut cry. But his friend's gray eyes very clearly brimmed with tears and not a single person judged him. After three miscarriages and years of being told that they couldn't have children, the Thorstons had finally been blessed with the gods' most precious gift to mankind.

"What's her name?" Hiccup asked softly.

Svala beamed. "Ava. Ava Grace."

Snotlout breathed a laugh. "She's tiny."

"Ehh…" Tuffnut smirked at Hiccup. "We've seen tinier babies."

A sharp ping stabbed Hiccup's heart for the second time that night, and again he was at a loss. Tuffnut hadn't meant anything by it so why was he getting irrationally offended? He was being beyond ridiculous.

He forced a smile onto his face, which became easier when little Ava stretched a fist outside of her pink bundle and squeaked in discomfort. The adults chuckled lightly before Mara stepped forward. "Well, I think it's time everyone headed out. Svala and Ava need their beauty sleep."

"What, I don't need my beauty sleep?" Tuffnut asked loudly, causing Ava to whimper. His eyes widened and he gently patted her head. "Sorry, baby."

Hiccup and Snotlout snickered. "Goodnight, guys. Congratulations."

The Thorstons bid them goodbye and Mara saw them out the door. Toothless warbled outside, trying to nose his way through but Hiccup blocked him. "No buddy, you'll have to wait a few more weeks. Don't give me that look, she's too small for your slobbers!"

Snotlout snorted, taking Heather's. "All right, we're going home." He slapped Hiccup's shoulder and walked off.

"Good night, Snotlout. Heather."

Hiccup watched them go for a moment before sliding into his saddle. "All right bud, let's go home."

Either the flight home took a lot less time than usual or Hiccup wasn't paying attention, either way, he saw two dark shapes in the window of the dragon pen at the Haddock home. And he had a very bad feeling about those shapes, especially taking the Changewing just outside the pen into account.

Hiccup walked in without knocking, his heart clenching as he saw his daughter and Brandyn laughing and joking as they walked in together. He should have been thankful that Adrianna was perfectly fine but he was more concerned with the fact that she'd had no good reason for being out this late. She looked around and suddenly jumped.

"Dad! I, uh, I didn't see you there!" she exclaimed, the smile melting off her face.

Hiccup tensed. "Inside, Adrianna."

The Haddock girl crossed her arms. "What? Why?"

"Because it's almost 11 at night." Hiccup said in a very controlled tone. "So say good night to Brandyn. I'll take care of Lily."

Adrianna opened her mouth to speak but Brandyn swiftly cut her off. "Anna, it's fine. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Whose side are you on?" the girl asked in a rather snippy tone.

"Uh, his, if I have to choose." Brandyn shrugged. "He's the one with all the cards."

"No, he really isn't."

Hiccup's voice elevated in volume. "Adria-"

"I'm going! Gods!" Adrianna snarled, stomping up to the side door closest to the house. "See you tomorrow, Brandyn." she said in a falsely cheerful voice before turning on her heel and walking through it, slamming it behind her.

There was a very awkward silence. Brandyn eyed Hiccup apprehensively and was slightly alarmed at the cross expression on the Hooligan chief's usually relaxed features.

"Uhh, I guess I could have gotten her back sooner."

"Could have?"

"Should have!" Brandyn corrected himself.

"I don't care if you go out on a flight. But don't keep her out this late again." Hiccup said curtly before turning around and, forgetting all about Lily, leaving the pen without another word.

Hiccup walked into the main room in stony silence. Adrianna was still there, wrestling with a stubborn boot that didn't seem to want to come off. She had only just managed to yank it off her foot when she saw her father standing there, surveying her with a scowl on his face.

"What?"

"Care to explain why you were out until 11 with a boy?" Hiccup asked, crossing his arms.

"Don't make it sound so scandalous." Adrianna rolled her eyes. "Nothing happened."

"I'm not saying I thought something had." Hiccup forced his voice to remain steady. "But your mom and I would have been really worried if we'd gotten back a bit earlier and you weren't here."

"What kind of person do you think I am?" Adrianna stood up, her temper clearly rising. "What, you honestly believed I'd, I don't know, sleep with him if he takes me on enough late night flights?"

"Adrianna!" Hiccup snapped. "This isn't about that!"

"Isn't it?" his daughter retorted. "Well you don't have to worry, Dad. I won't be going on any more late night flights. It's not as if I accidentally let time get away from me, no, it was clearly pure defiance this time."

"That's enough!" Hiccup roared. Adrianna stopped speaking, looking stunned. "Must you always jump to the most ridiculous conclusions? All I was going to say was don't do it again!"

"So say it! Spare me the lecture!"

"You could do with a few good lectures if you're going to talk to me like that!" Hiccup shouted. "I won't tolerate it! I am your father!"

"So act like one!" Adrianna shouted back. "I'm going to bed. Unless I need permission to sleep from the high and mighty king of the Haddocks."

"Fine! Get to bed! It's the first good idea you've had all day!" Hiccup grandly gestured to the stairs.

Adrianna immediately bolted to her room and slammed her door without as much as a "good night." Hiccup muttered darkly under his breath. Then, quite suddenly, he stomped outside, found the nearest tree, and slammed his fist into it. The familiar pain exploded in his knuckles but this time he felt that he liked it. Punishing himself for terrible parenting, for being an abject failure at everything lately, felt good. Almost relaxing in a twisted way. Again and again he punched the tree until there were bloody fist-prints dripping from its bark.

"Hiccup!"

For one horrifying moment, Hiccup thought it was Adrianna who had spoken but a split second later, he realized that, regardless of her current feelings toward him, she wouldn't have addressed him by his first name. He turned and met the cool blue eyes of his wife. She stared at him, horror-struck at the sight of her husband's red face which was screwed up in rage. Her eyes moved to the blood pouring from his fists, coating the tree in front of him.

The breath seemed to be sucked right out of Hiccup's lungs. He froze in place, his eyes unable to meet his wife's now that he knew that hers were latched onto him, taking in the sheer amount of blood dripping from his fists.

"What are you..." Astrid gasped. "Your hands... what did you..."

"I..." to Hiccup's immense irritation, he could feel tears welling in his eyes. "Just..."

"Here," Astrid said in the same sort of gentle tone she used with the twins when they were upset, "let's wrap that up."

Hiccup silently allowed himself to be steered into the house. He and Astrid were silent as Astrid cleaned and wrapped up his battered hands. She didn't speak again until they had been sitting in silence on the couch for several minutes. Then Astrid spoke, making her husband jump.

"You've got to stop doing this." she said calmly.

"Well what else am I supposed to do with these... these..."

"Feelings of inadequacy?" Astrid suggested. At Hiccup's stunned silence, she continued. "You don't usually lose it at the kids, Hiccup. What happened?"

"Addie came home late. You know."

"No," Astrid shook her head, "what upset you enough that you lashed out at her?"

A sinking feeling entered Hiccup's gut. "N-nothing." he said unconvincingly.

"Is it Ava?" Astrid pressed.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Well that's tough," said Astrid firmly, "because we are." she paused, waiting for Hiccup to retort, but he said nothing. "Brought back a lot of memories, didn't it?" the corners of her mouth turned up in a small smile. "Ava looks a lot like Adri did when she was that little. I can tell you noticed."

"What exactly do you want me to say?" Hiccup asked darkly. "That I'm the worst person in the world for being jealous of the Thorstons instead of happy for them? Because it would be true."

"I had a feeling." Astrid sighed. "Fresh start, opportunity to protect their baby in ways we never could."

"Makes me feel like I've got the younger siblings I always wanted when I was little." said Hiccup with a scowl. "I get why people can't stand them now. They learn from your example and you make all the mistakes."

"Yeah, I guess." Astrid said dismissively. "But resenting them for opportunities they got that you didn't won't solve anything."

"It's how I feel." Hiccup mumbled.

"I know. I understand." Astrid put an arm around him and kissed his cheek. "Hard not to feel that way but..." she paused almost apprehensively. "Does this, does Ava being such a miracle baby-"

"Don't say it, Astrid."

"-remind you of something else?"

"If you're talking about Addie-"

"You know who I'm talking about." Astrid pressed.

Hiccup stared at her, his eyes wide. "We... we agreed we wouldn't talk about that."

"That was almost 12 years ago." Astrid shook her head. "We were young, we were stupid to make that agreement. But we should talk about it. I can tell it still affects-"

Anger surged in Hiccup's chest. "What? You want to... after all these years?" he suddenly stood up and started to pace. "What is there to say about it?"

"Hiccup, what happened with Darin wasn't anyone's fault." Astrid said shakily. "And the situations with Svala and me are different."

"Different how?" Hiccup snapped. "Tasha said there wouldn't be any more kids for you and me and Mara said the same for Svala after the second miscarriage."

"So you wish Tuff and Svala had lost little Ava because that would have made sense?" Astrid asked in a flat tone.

"No!" Hiccup shouted. "Why would you ask that?"

"I don't know! I never know with you because I was always afraid to bring him up!" Astrid ventured cautiously.

"What is there to say?" Hiccup suddenly bellowed. "He's dead, Astrid! Tasha said it was likely and you told me not to get my hopes up but I was stupid and I did and then he died just like she said he would."

"Hiccup..."

"You think seeing a couple defeat the odds in a way we couldn't doesn't affect me? You think I don't think about this every single day, wonder if he'd hate me as much as Finn and Addie do now, wonder what kind of ways I'd have ruined his life too?" Hiccup wiped angry tears out of his eyes, irritated at himself for crying during his tirade. "Even if he hadn't died, he probably would have gone through just as many horrors as the twins. I can't do this, Astrid. I can't." he collapsed on the couch and put his head in his hands.

Astrid stared at him, her mouth slightly agape at the angry rant she'd just witnessed. It was the most Hiccup had ever said about the subject in 12 years. She wasn't sure how to react or what to say. Slowly, she scooted herself closer to him and put her arms around him. For a moment, he was rigid, breathing heavily, and then he slowly lowered his head onto her shoulder.

"I miss him too." she whispered, kissing the top of his head. "And not a day goes by that I don't think about him. But we've got two amazing kids, Hiccup. That's more than so many people have. Let's honor his memory by making sure his brother and sister are raised right."

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah... let's..." he sniffled and wiped his face with his hand. "Big day tomorrow. As usual." he mumbled. "Have to get to bed."

He rose without as much as a good night and climbed the staircase. Astrid stared at the bedroom door after he had shut it, feeling a rush of very conflicting emotions. On the one hand, it broke her heart to see her husband as depressed as he had been over the last few months. She ached for him, hoping each day that things wouldn't get worse. But on the other... perhaps she was being a bit selfish but in all of his despair, Hiccup didn't seem to pay much attention to her. The last time they'd had this long of a dry spell was when they'd been on the cusp of divorce but _that_ was the farthest thing on Astrid's mind. He'd needed her then and she'd been aloof. Now she was determined to be there for him no matter what. But even so... two and a half months...

Shaking her head, she stood up and ascended the staircase. Hiccup would probably be curled up and pretending to be asleep when she entered. She didn't want to let this bother her. He was in pain. He needed support. But she had needs too.

She looked over at the doors to the twins' bedrooms. She could hear the soft snoring from Finn's room. He was usually dead to the world by ten. Adrianna had a light on. She was probably reading; she'd recently discovered an excellent book about two witches and their very complicated friendship. She'd cried all the way through the ending but still read it again. Astrid could never understand why people wanted to subject themselves to reading material that made them cry but then again, perhaps it was a bit like her propensity to make the same arguments with her stubborn children despite the fact that it did nothing but frustrate her more.

She looked back at her bedroom door. No sounds came from within the room and she knew Hiccup must be lying down and attempting to sleep now. Like Adrianna, Hiccup seemed to be drawn to things that made him emotional. Perhaps that was one of those things she'd never understand about him. But, she reminded herself as she pushed open the door, perhaps she wasn't supposed to understand it at all. What she knew for sure was that she was going to have to be the voice of optimism from now until things got better. And she hoped more than anything else that things would.

Then again, they always had. And there was no reason to believe that they wouldn't again.


	4. The Gift

Astrid always loved the dim light shining through the windows on summer mornings. The warm air wafting through the room meant that she didn't have to light any candles to see what she was doing or to warm up the house before breakfast. There seemed to be infinite reasons to love summer, not least of which was the fact that today happened to be very special.

The Haddock matriarch resisted the urge to fling the covers from her body and leap out of bed with gusto. Her husband, who was still asleep, wasn't the sort of person who appreciated this behavior regardless of the season or the particular day. She had learned this the hard way on the first morning of their marriage. The first of many difficult lessons she would learn in the next nearly sixteen years.

But today wasn't the day to think about difficult lessons. They could do that any time. Today was the day to celebrate the best and worst day of her life, of Hiccup's life. The day everything had flipped upside down for the young couple, the day their horizons expanded and their lives became much richer than either of them could imagine.

In other words, it was Finn and Adrianna's birthday.

Astrid couldn't believe it had already been 15 years since had received the shocking news that the baby she'd been preparing for since the beginning of her marriage was actually _two_ babies. 15 years since she had first held her son and watched Hiccup desperately and successfully revive her daughter. In her entire life, she had never again felt the rush of love she'd had when everything had calmed down and she was finally holding the babies she had carried since just after she had gotten married.

And now those babies had gained over a hundred pounds each, had learned to walk and talk, had outgrown the need for diapers (thank Thor), had gotten their own dragons, and had experienced some of life's greatest joys and its most crushing tragedies. But that was all part of growing up, something both Finn and Adrianna did way too fast for comfort.

Knowing that Finn would be more open to waking up at dawn, Astrid tapped on his bedroom door before entering. Her son was sprawled on the bed, his soft snoring quite audible in the silence. Astrid smiled at the memory of Stoick making some of the same grunting snores when he would spend the night after a particularly rough day watching the twins. How very like his grandfather her Finn was becoming.

"Morning." she said softly, kneeling next to her son as his eyes fluttered open. "Happy birthday."

"Mmmmf." Finn groaned before a large yawn. "Morning, mom."

Astrid kissed his forehead. "Anything in particular you want for breakfast?"

"Not really." Finn replied as he sat up and stretched. "Your cooking is always delicious."

"Laying on the sugar a bit early today, aren't you?" Astrid grinned as her son rolled his eyes.

"Nah, I'm just a lucky guy to have a mom and beautiful and talented as you are." Finn said quite seriously.

"All right," Astrid sat down in a nearby chair and crossed her arms, "what do you want to ask me?"

"Ask you?" Finn got out of bed and ran his fingers through his matted, messy red locks. "Do I need a reason to compliment my own mother?"

"Finn..."

"All right," Finn laughed and held up his arms in mock surrender, "I guess there is _one_ thing..."

"Yes?"

"Can I come a bit late to the party?" Finn asked quickly as if he'd been bursting to say this since he'd awakened. "A few of the guys and I are racing our dragons and that always takes a few hours once we get going."

"Is that so?" Astrid sighed deeply.

"Come on, Mom. Anna would probably love to have her own party for once, even if it's just for an hour or two." Finn pleaded, his blue eyes widening to resemble those of Terrible Terrors begging for table scraps. "And it's my birthday." he added hopefully.

"Oh..." Astrid grinned at the adorable expression on Finn's face. "All right. But don't miss it. Your dad won't like that."

"No, I imagine not." said Finn, carefully concealing his scowl at the mention of his father. "You're the best, most beautiful, most amazing mom ever." the teenager quickly hugged his mother before patting her on the back. "But I need to change clothes so..."

"Of course." Astrid stood up and kissed Finn's forehead again. "I'll make pancakes."

"You're the best!" Finn called as his mother left the room.

"Don't you forget it!" Astrid called back just before she shut the door.

* * *

It had happened again.

Adrianna should have known it wouldn't last. Two months without a single incident, now that was a record. Perhaps it had been the excitement of Brandyn's impending arrival or the anticipation of Svala and Tuffnut's baby that had kept her mind out of its usual circular thoughts and feelings. She supposed that, on some level, she may never know. But the all too familiar fear awakened her far too early for comfort and, yet again, she found herself lying in bed, covered in her own sweat, with her heart pounding in her ears.

Eleven and a half years ago. It had been _eleven and a half years ago_ , she thought irritably as she slowly rose and made a face at the damp strands of hair slowly coming unstuck from her pillow. How could she still feel like she was three years old at the mercy of a woman who was nothing but dust by now? Why did she live in Adrianna's memory, constantly popping out at her as if she was some kind of sick, recurring practical joke?

Adrianna was _not_ three years old anymore. It seemed ridiculous to have to remind herself of that fact as she rolled off her bed and reached for a towel. She would need a bath. She always needed a bath after nights like this.

After grabbing her towel and her clothes for the day, she tiptoed down the stairs and was relieved not to find anyone on the way down. She quickly slipped into the washroom and shut the door as carefully as should could. She swiftly locked it and hurried to the window to whistle for her dragon. Lily came bounding forward as if she'd been waiting for Adrianna's call.

"Hey girl," Adrianna cooed as she affectionately patted Lily on the nose. "Another rough night. Will you give me a hand?"

Lily knew the routine by heart now. Her human would slide the wall sideways to admit her, draw the curtains, put water into the bathtub, and then Lily would heat the water. After that, Adrianna would peel off her sweaty pajamas and settle into the bath, always making the same kind of groaning sound when her body was immersed in the hot water. Today was no exception but Lily had the funny feeling it was a special day. The extra bounce in her human's mother's step was a clear indicator of... something.

"Thank you, Lily." Adrianna breathed as she slowly got to work rubbing soap on her body. "You're a lifesaver."

Lily made a crooning noise and plopped down next to her human. Adrianna smiled at her as she now scrubbed her hair with the flowery substance she preferred. Lily loved that scent and dearly missed it now that Adrianna had stopped wearing hair flowers. But she supposed that her human wasn't the cute little girl she had once plucked off the ground and attempted to carry away. Growing up was a positive development, not a negative one.

As Adrianna soaked in the tub, she heard someone descend the staircase next to the washroom. The step- _thunk_ was a clear indicator of who was now awake and moving around. Hiccup was walking toward the kitchen and speaking cheerfully to someone, though his words were too muffled to hear. The Haddock girl sank lower into the bathwater. She didn't want to deal with him today, especially not after the night she'd had.

If she had to be honest with herself, Adrianna knew Hiccup wasn't to blame for her problems. At least, not in a direct way. He was indirectly to blame for her green eyes, clumsiness, and sarcastic tone that made people who had known her father as a teenager snicker at how alike they sounded. She even, according to Gobber, could pull off a lot of the same facial expressions. Being a miniature female Hiccup was becoming a rather irksome reputation on its own, even if she and her father didn't have other issues.

" _You know... people can only be pushed so far. You know that as well as anyone. But if you keep this up, if you keep hanging onto this, you're going to end up alone and unloved. That's what happens when you let things like this consume you. Every minute you hang onto this, you push away people who love you. One day, there won't be anyone left. Don't let that happen."_

It seemed like those words had a tendency to echo in her head as if her brain were a giant, empty chamber every time Hiccup entered her thoughts. As she bathed, she ran through the age old argument in her head.

Was she hanging onto what had happened? Adrianna bit her lip and furrowed her brow as she concentrated on this conundrum, her bath forgotten. She didn't ask for the nightmares or the occasional panic attacks. That wasn't dwelling onto her ordeal, that was being unceremoniously thrown back into it at random. But would those episodes really keep her from her own father's love? Her family's love?

She hugged her knees. Her father was an amazing man and she... well, she was _nothing_. How could she ask for the love of a man who had, by his own admission, every intention of revoking it if she failed to stop this from affecting her. How could she prove that she was worthy of the life he had saved when she was scarcely out of the womb?

As she finally remembered that she was still in the bathtub and the water was starting to get cold, she quickly got up and threw on her clothes. She poured the water out as best she could and, toweling her long hair, finally decided to enter the main room and face her family.

"Morning, birthday girl!" Astrid chirped the moment she came into view.

Adrianna started. It was her birthday today! She'd completely forgotten! How in the world had she managed _that_? Her eyebrows shot upward for a second before she put on the most genuine smile she could muster.

"Hi." she said in a breathy voice.

Hiccup was sitting on the other end of the table, his expression unreadable as she walked over. She nodded once to him before sitting down in front of a plate piled with pancakes and smothered in fruit.

"Thanks, mom." she said as cheerfully as she could. "They look good." she looked around the room. "Where's Finn?"

"Outhouse." Hiccup replied, using his fork to pick at his own plate of pancakes. "Are you doing anything special with the girls? Or with Brandyn?" his tone was casual but Adrianna could detect a hint of impatience, as if he wanted her to interrupt him mid-sentence and assure him that she wouldn't be pushing boundaries with her sole male friend today.

"Brandyn and I are going to hang out before the party." Adrianna said, keeping her voice as casual and steady as she could. "That okay?"

"Yeah." Hiccup smiled at her but she could see the concern in his gaze.

"I have returned!" Finn burst through the door, still flinging water off of his newly washed hands. "What did I miss?"

"Your sister's here." Astrid gestured to Adrianna.

"If I were you, I'd avoid the outhouse for a while." he said to her as he sat down. "It's not pleasant."

Adrianna made a face. "You're disgusting."

"I can live with that." Finn grinned. "So are you going to sulk like you did last birthday?"

"No." Adrianna huffed, slightly annoyed at his tone. "I'm going to spend the day with my friends."

"Ahh. Sulking again." Finn placed an enormous bite of pancakes in his mouth. "Ooo sho rihihaba!" he added, spraying the table with crumbs.

"Finn, for Thor's sake, don't eat with your mouth full!" Astrid snapped irritably at her impolite son.

The Haddock boy swallowed so fast, his eyes began to water. "Then how am I supposed to eat?"

Hiccup and Adrianna both snorted with laughter as Astrid's face reddened slightly. "You know what I meant." she said, keeping down her own guffaws.

The family finally burst into fits of giggles. Astrid shook her head. Her slip of the tongue had already done more to cheer her husband and children up than anything else in a very long time. She was glad for it, even if it did mean that she'd probably be reminded of it for weeks to come.

Still laughing, Hiccup stood up and sauntered over to the door. He could have sworn he'd heard scratching on it, likely caused by a hapless Terrible Terror who was trying to get in and hadn't thought to use the window (an all too common occurrence).

"All right, little guy, come on- GAH!"

Hiccup leaped backward with a scream, his hand clutching his heart. A second later, the family could see the reason for the Haddock patriarch's surprise. A tall, curvy woman with very messy blonde hair had jumped out at him from the bushes next to the door. Her shrill, raucous laughter echoed around the house.

"Your face!" she squealed, stamping her feet with mirth. "That was amazing!"

Hiccup's heart was still pounding in his ears but he forced his voice to remain calm. "Camicazi, what in the name of sanity..."

His sentence was interrupted when Camicazi threw her arms around him and crushed him in a hug. He gasped for breath after she had let him go and pushed past him to see the rest of the family.

"Look at you!" she shrieked when she saw Astrid. "You're prettier than he said you'd be!"

"Who said what now?" Astrid fixed her husband with a suspicious glance.

"Oh Asgard no, it's not anything like that!" Camicazi shouted. "He's all yours, much too skinny for my taste anyway!"

"Astrid," Hiccup wheezed, gesturing to their surprise guest, "meet Camicazi, chief of the Bog Burglars. I told you about her."

"Bet he said I was a nutter!" Camicazi punched Astrid's arm, making her wince. "They all say that! Camicazi the Crazy, at your service, Mrs. Haddock! And you two!" she abruptly turned to the twins. "Ohhh he gets cuter every day, this one!" she pinched Finn's cheek in her long fingers. "And you!" she bustled over to Adrianna and grabbed her face in her hands. "Much too pretty! How is she this pretty when she looks more like you than Astrid?" she called to Hiccup, who still seemed to be recovering from the shock.

"Are you calling my husband ugly?" Astrid asked in a warning tone.

"No!" Camicazi cheerfully exclaimed. "I'm saying his face looks better on a girl! But that's no surprise! Most things do!"

"I'm inclined to agree with you." Hiccup said, shooting a grin at his startled daughter. "Nice to see you again. What brings you here?"

"Do I need a reason to visit my second favorite chief and his beautiful family?" Camicazi proceeded to wallop Hiccup on the arm, causing him to emit a pained squeak. "It's so lovely to see you again! And don't think I don't know what day it is!" she added as she pulled out two slightly squished packages from her rather sizable pockets. "I made Trader Johann tell me under threat of torture!"

"He was unwilling to tell you?" Hiccup raised an eyebrow.

"No, I was just playing around." Camicazi replied. "Jumpy man, he was. Seemed eager to leave."

"I'm not surprised." Astrid muttered.

"Open it!" she squealed to Finn, who was having some issues tearing the papers off his oddly shaped gift.

Out fell a funny looking object with strings attached to a handle and going over a thicker area with a hole in the middle. Finn raised an eyebrow at the gift.

"I don't know what it is," Camicazi explained most unhelpfully, "but look!" she plucked a string a musical note emanated from it. "You can play music on it! I've been calling it a String Thing!"

"You could stand to learn a new skill." Hiccup said cheerfully as Finn plucked his gift a few times, looking quite intrigued.

"Open yours!" Camicazi commanded, turning her attention to Adrianna. "I made some of it myself!"

Adrianna tore the wrapping off of a book with no title. She opened it up and looked slightly disappointed to find no words in it.

"Oh don't look like that!" Camicazi chirped. "It's for your own stories!" she promptly threw a handful of charcoal sticks at the girl with gusto. "See? Now you can tell stories and they'll last forever! Or you can write your own stories about that spaceman! Seems like a silly idea, writing about characters that aren't yours, but I bet you could make up so many of your own, everyone forgets they all aren't yours!"

Adrianna thought wryly that no one would _ever_ read a story that mixed established characters with someone else's new characters unless that someone was exceptionally talented. She immediately began to consider the kinds of characters she'd add to the spaceman's vast universe. Or perhaps, she thought with a start, she could write a fictionalized account of the adventures of people she knew.

"Thank you, Camicazi." she said with a smile, giving the woman a one-armed hug.

"It was nothing!" Camicazi shouted back, making the family wince at the sudden noise. "Now why don't you," she punched Hiccup's other shoulder, "show me around?"

"Why not show her around, Finn?" Hiccup nudged his son in the ribs. "Since you keep staring at her."

Finn, whose bright blue eyes had been fixed upon Camicazi, bounded over and held the door open for her. "I've got a little time to kill."

Camicazi grinned in amusement at the teenage boy and walked through the door. As Finn started to go through it behind her, she turned around so suddenly, the boy nearly bounced off her sizable bosom.

"I'll be seeing you later, Mr. Hooligan chief!" she shrieked before turning around and running to her dragon, who was growing playfully at Thornado just outside. "Come on, Blockhead!" she called to the Nadder, whose head was oddly square shaped now that Hiccup got a decent look at it from outside the open door.

Both dragons took off. Adrianna stood at the doorway watching them for a moment before Lily nudged her back. She turned to her parents.

"Can I go?" she asked, giving them a pleading stare. "Brandyn's expecting me soon."

"Your party is at two!" Astrid reminded her. "Don't be late! And stop by home so you can pick up your bra, I'll be done adjusting it by then."

Adrianna's face went a deep shade of scarlet. "Mom!"

"Your dad knows you're a girl." Astrid said dismissively. "Go on!"

Adrianna hightailed it out of there so fast, she resembled a green and brown blur. Hiccup began to clear the breakfast dishes as Astrid got out a sewing kit and one of Adrianna's bras.

"Do you have to do that at the table?" he asked, feeling rather awkward.

"Why does she keep needing adjustments?" Astrid asked no one in particular. "I wore this bra at 15 and it wasn't tight at all."

"Astrid..." Hiccup's face was beginning to resemble his daughter's moments ago. "I'm right here."

Astrid sighed, resigning herself to her work. How in the world did Adrianna continue to outgrow her old shirts and bras at such an alarming rate. Hofferson women were curvy, definitely, but they were also fairly slender. It was almost as if...

"This is your fault." Astrid said suddenly.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow at her. "I... what?"

Astrid suddenly got up and strode over to her husband's helmet. "I've been staring at this while fixing her clothes for weeks, how did I not see it?"

"See _what_?"

"You!" Astrid poked him in the chest. "You've been wearing half a breastplate on your head for years! This is all you!"

"What does my helmet have to do with- oh..." Hiccup took a step back, his face finally succumbing to a scarlet hue. "Well... technically this is my mother's fault."

"How convenient that she can't do this herself." Astrid mumbled.

"Well I'd offer but I really doubt Addie would appreciate that." Hiccup shrugged. "I'll be going to the Great Hall to oversee decorations. That'll take forever."

"And I'll make the cake after I'm done here." Astrid said, focusing on her sewing again. "But don't think I won't make you start mending some of our daughter's shirts."

"I'll be happy to do it." Hiccup kissed his wife on the cheek before walking out of the door and hurrying toward the village, Toothless at his heels.

* * *

Erick hated beads. No, he despised them. They were tiny holes that he had to loop through stubborn strings that didn't want to cooperate, and on _top_ of that, he had to pay close attention so he kept the color patterns correct. He'd learned the hard way that messing one bead up and discovering the error an hour later was pure torture. He liked to tell himself that the job made the day go faster but that was a lie- it was so tedious, the day dragged on.

Another saddle for a little girl nearly finished and he was ready for lunch. As if on cue, his stomach rumbled impatiently and he let out a huff of frustration. Quickly counting the strung multicolored beads one more time, he noted that the saddle wouldn't be finished for at least another ten minutes.

"Watcha doin'?"

Erick jumped, scattering beads across his desk. He slammed his hands against the end of the string, cutting off the beads' escape. He huffed and sent a glare up to his girlfriend, who smiled down at him cheekily.

"I was _trying_ to finish this chore of a request very soon, but now it looks like it'll take me about...oh," Erick swiped his finger along the less beaded string. "Another half hour."

"Sorry..." Taryn remarked sheepishly. "Surely you're exaggerating though, it couldn't take that-"

"Oh, so now you're an expert on beading?"

"I happen to enjoy it very much, thank you!" Taryn rested her hands on her hips. "Grandma Ingerman asks me to do lots of beading for purses and-"

"That's great, babe," Erick rubbed his eyes. "but I can't go anywhere until I finish this saddle, so if you don't mind waiting..."

Taryn glanced at the beads scattered across his desk and littering the floor around their feet. She smiled wide and pulled up a stool next beside his.

Erick raised an eyebrow. "What're you doing?"

"I'm starving, Larson. I'll help you finish then we can get some grub."

"You don't have to do that."

"I know, but I want to."

"You should go enjoy your break in the sun before the ladies call you back!"

"Are you really denying my help?"

"Yes! No-"

A deep voice cleared behind them and Erick ducked his head. Taryn twisted on her stool to see Horst poking his head in from the main room. "As adorable as you two are, I think Mr. Larson can finish that saddle in silence, yes?"

"Sorry. Should I leave?"

"I don't care if you help, but you can goof off on his break."

"Yes, sir."

The duo scrambled to pick up the beads scattered on the floor and began to put them back on the string in earnest. Erick was actually very thankful for her help because it made the job seem like less of a chore with her shoulder brushing against his or her fingertips occasionally poking him in the ribs. He jerked away and loudly whispered at her to stop. She grinned and poked him again.

Erick rolled his eyes, still whispering. "You're so immature."

"Sh, work!"

"I'm working!"

"You're not supposed to be talking."

"You talked first. Gah!" Erick clamped his mouth shut after his sharp outburst. Taryn's shoulder shook with suppressed laughter. "Gods woman, stop poking me!"

Horst's voice echoed from the front: "Do I need to come back there?"

Silence reigned once more. Taryn sneaked a glance at Erick, which he ignored, trying not to grin. The dimples on his face were hard to ignore. Taryn leaned over and quickly pecked his cheek before stringing the last few beads in her hand. She watched Erick catch his bottom lip between his teeth as he also strung the last few beads and tied a knot.

"Whew, finally!" Erick smiled at her. "Thanks for helping!" He jerked away from her probing fingers, nearly falling off his stool. Taryn jumped off her stool, grabbed her bag, and ran out the front door. "Oh its on!" Erick snagged his satchel and tore after her, ignoring Horst's huffs of disapproval.

Taryn stole a glance over her shoulder and yelped in a panic when she saw Erick gaining on her. She tried to run faster but Erick finally caught her elbow, stopping them and yanking her to a stop. "No, no, no! I'm sorry-" She grappled with his hands, trying to stifle her laughter.

Erick fought back his grin feigning frustration. "You don't sound very sorry!"

"I'm sorr-" Taryn's mock apology was lost in her uproarious laughter that echoed across the square, catching the attention of many villagers in the square. A few snickered at the teenagers having an epic tickle battle, rolling in the dust and not caring that they were getting filthy. Taryn finally screeched through her struggles, "Okay, okay, OKAY STOP!"

Erick finally let up, standing and breathing hard with a wild grin on his face. He hadn't laughed that hard in... a long time. It felt good. "That's what happens when you poke a man too many times. You can't win a tickle battle, not with a man who has a four nephews."

"Yeah, yeah," Taryn sat up gasping, her face red and auburn braid in shambles. Erick held out a hand and pulled her to her feet. She snickered, patting his tunic, "You look terrible now."

Erick spoke before thinking. "And you look like a hot mess." His eyes widened and a blush rose up his face almost instantly.

Taryn giggled. "A hot mess, huh?"

"Urgh..." Erick buried his face in his hands. "That's not what I meant..." His head snapped up. "Not that it's not true! I mean...wait-"

"Larson, do you need a shovel to help you dig that hole deeper?"

"I..." Erick sighed in defeat. "Shut up."

Taryn laughed, grabbing his sleeve. "Come on, I'm starving."

"You're starving? I'm a growing man and it's half past noon and _you're_ starving?"

"Shut up, Larson. Let's find some shade. Break's nearly half over already!"

Erick tittered and jogged after her towards a shady barn just outside the square. He sighed contently, wishing he had more days like this. He felt light and carefree, despite the few glances they were receiving from adults. He wanted to keep this lightheaded feeling forever and bid all his troubles goodbye.

But alas, life simply didn't work that way.

* * *

"That's impossible!"

"Why?"

"They would have to float!"

"So?"

"So it would just get waterlogged and sink to the bottom!"

"Well fries float!"

"That's because they're fried in oil. Oil floats on water!"

Brandyn ignored the laughter of the Great Hall, completely caught up in the discussion he was having with the birthday girl herself. He and Adrianna had been talking ever since she had entered the room and, as usual, he was getting the upper hand.

"Exactly, so if fries float in oil and oil floats on water, then fries are going to float on water." Adrianna continued, her plate of food forgotten in the ferocity of their verbal sparring.

"Nani, we're not talking about fries, we're talking about bread dough." Brandyn reminded her, rolling his eyes.

"Well I'm just telling you, baking has nothing to do with how they're cooked. They boil the water in a big vat and the water cooks the dough while it floats." Adrianna gestured to the vat in question as she spoke.

"That would be _poaching_! You don't poach dough, they're not called poachels, they're bagels; they're baked, get it?" Brandyn held up a bagel and ripped it in half to show her its exact consistency for the sake of their conversation.

"If it's not boiled in water, it's just a roll with a hole." Adrianna said stubbornly, her eyes never leaving his.

"Oh yeah? Well think about this: if you drop dough into a lake, even if it's a boiling lake, it's just going to sink to the bottom. Now a dough _nut_ , yes, that would stay buoyant for maybe an hour but only because it's been fried in oil." Brandyn picked up a doughnut and tossed it at Adrianna.

The Haddock girl opened her mouth to reply when she became suddenly aware of the hush that had fallen over her fellow Berkians. The large double doors had opened and all sets of eyes had turned to the entrance of the Great Hall. Smiles formed on everyone's face as they saw Finn walk in, the birthday boy finally arriving to his own party.

A chorus of "Happy birthday!" and "Hey, it's the birthday boy!" rung out through the hall. Adrianna cracked a small smile, sitting across from Brandyn and enjoying the bagel about which they had been discussing for the last several minutes. Hiccup and Astrid stood near the huge cake that Astrid had slaved over for nearly the whole day, sighing in relief as their son finally arrived to his birthday party. Sure, it was hours later than they had expected him, but at least he was _there_. Astrid was the first to walk over, smiling at her son and welcoming him to his own celebration.

"Happy birthday, son." she said cheerfully.

Finn fixed an unfocused and far too big grin on her. "Th-thanks Mom!" He facial expression didn't change, but he didn't move either.

Astrid stood in front of him, concern beginning to creep up on her as she wondered if her son was all right. She moved to touch him, but Finn simply started to walk into the party, his head high and still grinning.

Adrianna's small smile quickly faded, along with everyone else, and was replaced by a thin line on her lips. She set her bagel down and suddenly felt a bit concerned as she watched her brother awkwardly lean as he walked. It took her a minute to figure out what was going on but once she figured it out, her eyes widened and her face heated with pure embarrassment. She looked up at Brandyn just in time to see his lips descend into a frown. When she looked around the room, Finn's was the only smile there.

No one spoke as they watched the Haddock boy walk around the room, looking at all there was to see. The purple and green decorations everywhere, the stacks of fruity drinks, the huge cake in the center of the room, just waltzing around, never losing his smile.

By now, Astrid had watched her son walk almost halfway around the room, slightly slur, and never stop smiling. Her face grew from concerned, to slightly shocked, to disappointed, to slightly angry, to embarrassed. She was doubtful that she had ever had so many emotions rush through her at once while staring at her child. She glanced at the sea of faces, all frowning, including her husband. What a mess, to be standing here, watching her only son come to his shared birthday party, tipsy and not in any shape to be here. She almost wished he hadn't shown up.

She quietly walked over to her husband, who was looking embarrassed himself. "This is unacceptable," she whispered as Finn had walked around almost the whole room. "There is no way that he is staying here like this. He's already embarrassed us, himself, and probably Adri."

On instinct, Hiccup glanced to his daughter, who was still sitting across from Brandyn, and could clearly see the look of embarrassment on her face as she watched her brother finally stop and smile serenely at everyone. He saw Brandyn's frown deepen, and as he looked around at the other faces, Hiccup's embarrassment only grew. Gobber stood near the side, disappointment etched in his features. In fact, most of the faces showed disappointment or disapproval. Hiccup felt his embarrassment color his cheeks as he saw the few teens and younger children who found Finn funny as he clunked around, only to be hushed by their parents. He could see Camicazi in the corner of the room, her blue eyes flashing with anger, which was just one of the many emotions Hiccup was feeling at the moment.

"We need to take him home. Now." After whispering it to his wife, she nodded and they both walked over to their son, hooking their arms under his and beginning to walk out the door, finally making it to the door and slipping out of the party.

They marched their son home, their faces both full of a mix of emotions as they moved. Finn slurred something incomprehensible and tried to break their grips, yet he never broke his smile and his head tilted over a bit. As Hiccup helped his wife drag their son home, he could no longer deny Finn's state when he could see the pungent odor coming from his son that he could identify from anywhere. It was the sharp, sweet smell of mead and Finn had clearly had more than enough to intoxicate him. He only thanked the gods Finn wasn't completely wasted.

As Astrid caught sight of the Haddock household, her look of anger took over and her nose burned from her son's evidence of drinking. She couldn't believe her only son had the nerve to drink mead on such a special day and show up inebriated to his own birthday party, embarrass himself and his whole family. It was unacceptable, and when he woke up and got over the massive headache he would surely have, she would most definitely be having a talk with him.

Hiccup opened the door first, bringing his son inside and marching with his wife up the stairs until they reached his room and let go of Finn's arms. Hiccup opened his mouth to speak, but Astrid shook her head and let her son sit on his bed, finally breaking his smile. "What's the matter... M-Mom? Dad?"

Astrid sighed and looked down at her son, who was still slurring. "Finn, you're going to stay here and sleep this off while we go back and try to enjoy the rest of your _sister's_ party."

She was clearly not happy and turned and walked out, Finn giving her a slightly crooked wave.

Hiccup looked at his son and nodded, as if agreeing with Astrid, and turned to walk out, but not before saying to his red-headed boy, "We are very disappointed in you."

He quickly walked down the stairs and through the front door as he followed his wife back to the Hall, feeling humiliated as he walked back into the celebration. Luckily, it seemed everyone else was back to chattering happily and enjoying themselves, and even Adrianna seemed to be back to normal,brandishing her bagel around and laughing as she talked with Brandyn. It seemed everything was back to the way it was, but Hiccup knew that under their smiling faces that they were all wondering about what was going through Finn's mind to make him decide to show up to his own party underage and drunk. He'd like to know that himself, honestly But as he saw his wife Astrid try to calm down, so did he, trying to enjoy the rest of the celebration for their daughter and the rest of the guests that were there.

* * *

"Well, I can't say that it was my best birthday." Adrianna said as she walked hand in hand with Brandyn. "But it wasn't my worst. That's the sad part."

"Ahh, it's okay." Brandyn nudged her with his arm. "Finn's going through a rough time. I've gone through some stuff like that and I got better. He will too."

"I'm not so sure." Adrianna mumbled. "He's been like this ever since Benen died. Just... _stupid_. Him and his friends. Especially Cale. I can't stand him."

"I don't blame you." Brandyn shook his head. "That guy's a piece of work."

"Hey," Adrianna peered at the Haddock home's doorstep, "did you put this here?" she picked up a sizable, square parcel.

"No." Brandyn replied. "Why?"

"It's a present, I think." Adrianna eyed the purple flower tied to the package. "For me."

"Well whoever left it obviously didn't know you don't wear flowers anymore." Brandyn watched her unwrap the present tentatively.

Adrianna yanked off the last bit of paper and let out a scream of excitement. Out fell a book with a picture of an older man, a young woman, and a blue box. She began to jump up and down.

"What?" Brandyn raised an eyebrow at this bizarre explosion of emotion.

"It's the next spaceman book!" Adrianna squealed. "It's... how did they get it? It's brand new! I didn't even know it was out yet!" she looked up at him. "Are you _sure_ it wasn't you?"

"I really wish it were. It's making you giddy." Brandyn laughed. "But alas, no, it wasn't."

"It was probably my dad then." Adrianna stared at the book, furrowing her brow. "But no, he wouldn't just leave it on my doorstep."

"Matilda?" Brandyn suggested.

"She got me the book about the seven people trapped on an island." Adrianna reminded him. "I can't imagine who got me this but I want to thank them _so_ badly!"

"Well maybe you've got a secret admirer." Brandyn frowned. "In which case, you've got to keep your wits about you."

"Maybe." Adrianna said dismissively.

"But at least this gives me a challenge." Brandyn grinned and took Adrianna's hand. "One year, I'm going to give you the best birthday present ever. That's a promise."

"You don't have to." Adrianna's cheeks went a bit pink.

"I want to." Brandyn let go of her hand. "Now go find out what happens in your book. Happy birthday, Nani."

"Thank you!" she kissed him on the cheek and immediately opened the book up.

"Nani-"

WHAM!

Adrianna had run headlong into the front door. Brandyn doubled over in silent guffaws but she seemed quite unabashed. Rather than look up from her precious book, she felt around for the handle of the door and pushed it in. When she had closed it behind her. Brandyn's laughter ceased.

Who was this mysterious gift-giver? Was he a secret admirer? Was it a she? Who would give Adrianna an anonymous gift in the middle of the night? He had a sneaking suspicion but if it was who he thought it was...

Brandyn began to stomp away, looking furious. No one was going to get in the way of him and Adrianna. Not on his watch.


	5. Raid

BWAM BWAM BWAM!

The noise thundered through Finn's eardrums, making continued sleep completely impossible. He groaned and pulled his covers over his head. Though still reeling from the loud sounds that had awakened him, his head appeared to have been pounding all night.

His ears picked up the painfully loud sound of the door being haphazardly flung open and two pairs of footsteps thumping around with no regard for his discomfort. A bright light shone through his blankets and the Haddock boy finally opened his eyes to see his window wide open and two people staring down at him.

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" bellowed a woman with tangled blonde hair and the wildest blue eyes Finn had ever seen. Her massive bosom heaved with restrained laughter at the sight of his hair, which was sticking out in all directions. "Betcha had fun last night, didn't ya?"

Finn made a humming sound and attempted to burrow into his blankets some more. The second person yanked off his bed coverings, exposing him to the much cooler air outside.

"Hey, what're you-"

"Time to get up." shouted the second person, who Finn now recognized as his mother. "No dilly dallying when there's work to do!"

Finn sat up slowly and pressed his eyes into his palms. The little lights danced in front of him before one of his elbows was seized and he was forcibly yanked from bed.

"Go on, get up, get dressed!" the other woman, who seemed to be Camicazi the Crazy herself, nearly dragged him across the room to his closet. She had an alarmingly tight grip, so tight that when she let go, Finn felt pins and needles as he regained circulation. "It's a bright, sunny day without a cloud in the sky! Perfect flying conditions, though of course, you won't have time for that, will you?"

"What?" Finn breathed. "I can't... got a headache."

"Oh, I bet you do!" Astrid exclaimed cheerfully as Camicazi hauled him upright and began shoving clothes into his arms. "Headaches are common in your condition but that's what you get for your little indulgence last night!"

"I was just..." Finn began but realized a split second later that he really had no excuse. "I have a headache so can you just-"

"No, we're not going to _just_!" Camicazi straightened him up to prevent him from slouching. "He's a real mess in the mornings, isn't he Astrid? I dunno about you but I think an ice cold bath would wake him up in no time!"

"I... what?" Finn shook his head felt suddenly nauseous. "No, I don't think I-"

"That is an excellent idea, Camicazi. In fact, we could draw it up right now. Help me get Finn down the stairs, will you?" Astrid grabbed Finn's arm and hung on tightly.

"It would be my pleasure!" Camicazi agreed, grabbing Finn's other arm.

The two woman hauled Finn down the stairs so fast, Finn would have tripped down them had he not been held upright. Hiccup was waiting downstairs rather expectantly for them, a smirk on his face.

"Ahh, if it isn't our little drunkard himself." he said serenely. "Looks like he needs to wake up quickly if he's going to be reorganizing the entire filing system at the library."

"What?" Finn shouted so loudly, he aggravated his own headache. "I've got work today!"

"Not anymore." Camicazi said gleefully as she helped Astrid yank off his shirt and push him into the already full bathtub, shorts and all. "Ooh look at him squirm! That sure woke him up in a hurry!"

Finn spluttered and gasped. "Why are you-"

"I think the better question," Hiccup interjected over Finn's complaints, "is why were you out drinking last night instead of celebrating your birthday responsibly? And _legally_? I could throw you in jail for a week if I wanted."

"You humiliated yourself, you humiliated your sister, and you humiliated us." Astrid added. "That's not something we're going to be taking lightly."

"What, you've never been drunk?" Finn shivered, not feeling coordinated enough to climb out of the tub while the room was still spinning.

"Your mother hasn't." Hiccup snapped. "As for me, I've only been drunk once and believe me, if the reason you were drunk last night was the same as mine, we'd be having a _very_ different discussion."

Finn scowled. He wasn't going to press for details. Finally using the sides to hoist himself up, he got out of the tub, dripping water all over the floor.

"Now that you're all clean," Astrid tossed a towel at him and allowed him to dry his hair on his own, "you can get dressed and head over to the library. Matilda's got a lot for you to do and there's no time to waste if you want it all done today."

"I'm not going over to the library!" Finn threw his towel on the ground in his temper. "And it doesn't matter what I got up to last night! Everyone's doing it and they'll keep doing it whether you're being ridiculous about it or not!"

"That may be true but you are the heir and you are held to a higher standard." Hiccup said calmly. Finn opened his mouth to retaliate but the Haddock patriarch continued. "I know that's not fair but if you want to be chief, you've got to act like one."

"Says you." Finn grumbled. "But when I'm chief, I can run this island any way I want!"

Hiccup crossed his arms. "That's why I'm working so hard on you. So you'll want to be a good leader. And right now, that means filing with Matilda. This doesn't have to be a bad thing, your sister loves her. Perhaps you could learn a few things."

"My _sister_ doesn't do anything wrong." Finn scowled at his father as he threw on a clean shirt. "Now if you don't mind, I need to put on some clean pants and I can take care of _that_ by myself." he added, waving them away with his hands.

Hiccup shrugged and allowed Astrid and Camicazi to leave the room before shutting the door. He turned to Astrid.

"You did a pretty good job." he told her with a sigh.

"I left him some breakfast in there too and had Stormfly guard the other exit." Astrid smiled proudly. "Hopefully he won't pull something stupid like that again."

"Honestly, I'm surprised he was this stupid to begin with." Camicazi piped up. "Last time we met, he seemed to have a good head on his shoulders. For a boy, of course."

"He's a teenager." Hiccup said, more to himself than to Astrid or Camicazi. "His body's being pumped with hormones every second of the day, of course he's going to act stupid. But that doesn't mean he's not old enough to know better."

"I think he'll come around." Camicazi assured him in a surprisingly comforting manner. "He's got you as a dad. My dad just told me I was crazy and went off to find normal Vikings to live with. He's on Brawn now, I still get letters."

"Well that's not exactly an option for me." Hiccup ran his hands down his face. "I've got too much to do in addition to all the parenting challenges that are becoming _more_ stressful than regulating an entire village."

"That's why I came here!" Camicazi affectionately punched his shoulder, causing him to stumble back. "You sounded really stressed out in your letters so I thought you needed someone to come cheer you up and yell at your kids so you didn't have to!"

"Don't you have your own village to run?" Hiccup asked, rubbing the area she had punched and almost feeling the developing bruise through his shirt.

"My mother can take care of it for a few days." Camicazi waved away his concerns. "Besides, I like you. You're the only man I've ever met who isn't as stupid as a squashed fly when it comes to leading his people!"

"Gee, thanks." Hiccup gave her a deadpan expression but was inwardly pleased that she considered him worth her attention. He felt like that was a good sign, especially coming from someone who had grown up watching her mother refuse to ally themselves with the rest of the archipelago until he had come along. "Finn!" he pounded on the door. "You can't possibly need ten minutes to put on a pair of-"

Finn threw the door open and treated his family (minus Adrianna) with a contemptuous glare. "I'll just be going then."

Camicazi perked up. "I'll take you to Melinda's!"

"Matilda's."

"Whatever." she grabbed Finn's upper arm in her usual firm grip and yanked him out the front door. Finn was beginning to regret giving her a tour of the island the day before.

Hiccup turned to Astrid after shutting the front door. "I guess I'd better get to work too." he sighed. "Tell Addie not to go to the library today. The last thing he needs right now is her bursting in and annoying him."

"Will do." Astrid kissed Hiccup's cheek. "I'll clean up around here before heading off to the Academy." she eyed the mess her son had made with a frown. "And here I was thinking that teenagers would be neater than little kids."

"Funny how fast we forget what adolescence was like." Hiccup kissed her chastely on the lips before leaving the house, hoping that this was the last crisis he'd have to deal with for a while.

* * *

Inga Jorgenson and Alton Brand were about the most unlikely friends you could imagine. Inga was a thin eleven year old girl who was tall for her age and had a tendency to be completely blunt and honest, regardless of the consequences. Alton was twelve years old and a few inches shorter. He was also extremely excitable. Anyone might have thought that sort of friendship would burn out fast. But a year later, they were still going strong.

It wasn't hard to locate them if you knew how to look. You only had to imagine the most dangerous place to be on Berk and then you would stumble upon them daring each other to do the impossible. It was for this reason that Mara had started telling them that she'd have some of the builders erect a wall around the areas in which Inga and Alton most liked to play. But the pair of them scoffed at her words and continued to make stupid decisions, some of which landed them in her presence again and again.

On this particular day, the friends could be found at a small cove on the west side of the island. Alton was, as usual, being incredibly persuasive.

"It's not that far!" he was saying cheerfully to his reluctant friend. "Just a few steps and you'd be across it and no one would know."

"It's like you're trying to kill me." Inga retorted with an impish grin on her face. "Think you'll get my vast wealth if I snuff it before I turn 12?"

"Vast wealth?" Alton scoffed. "You couldn't trade everything you owned for a copper piece!"

"Sentimental value trumps anything." Inga crossed her arms and fixed her friend with an intimidating gaze that made him giggle. "And besides, you're the one who will die first."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Well I'm not a chicken!" Alton stepped up on a shaky log which had fallen across the cove. "Watch me get all the glory and cross this in twenty seconds flat!"

"Go ahead!" Inga put her hands on her hips and stuck her tongue out at him.

"I will!" Alton began to cross the log, a confident smile on his face as he walked. "See? It's so easy, a toddler could do it. So easy, _you_ could do it!"

Inga's light blue eyes sparkled with mischief as she suddenly leaned over and gave the log a good shake. Alton let out an indignant yell and plunged into the water below.

"You cheater!" he bellowed at his cackling friend.

"You didn't say I couldn't do that!" Inga retorted with glee. "And look at you, you're fine!"

Alton swam as fast as he could to the shore, grumbling to himself. As he approached his friend, he heard another laughing voice echoing above them. Both Inga and Alton looked up to see Curt walking toward them, laughing so hard it was a wonder they hadn't heard him earlier. Alton's face went bright red.

"Nice going, little brother!" Curt grasped Alton's arm and yanked him to shore, still laughing hysterically. "You looked like you were about to topple off a hundred foot cliff when you lost your footing."

"Well he was acting rather full of himself." Inga added as she watched the brothers smacking each other playfully.

"Ahh, that's Ally for ya!" Curt rumpled the boy's hair, causing Alton to glower at him.

"My name's not Ally!" he snipped. "And I meant to do that!"

"Sure you did." Curt rolled his eyes. "Almost as much as I mean to do _this_!"

Curt suddenly gave his younger brother a hard shove. Inga was delighted to see her friend topple into the water yet again. However, Alton had been half expecting this and grabbed Curt's arm as he went down. Curt let out a yell as he too tumbled over his brother and into the cold pond.

"YOU LITTLE- HOW DARE YOU!" Curt splashed Alton with the freezing water, causing his brother to laugh and splutter. "You're supposed to respect your elders!"

"Yeah, when they're ancient!" Alton bellowed, splashing Curt back. "Are you telling me you're really a hundred years old? Because I'm pretty sure you're only 22, oh wise elder!"

"Don't get smart with me, I can put you over my knee and spank you for that!" Curt snorted.

"Yeah right!"

"Watch me!"

"Guys!" Inga called, her face alight with laughter. "You could just get out of the water."

A sudden tidal wave soaked her as both Curt and Alton splashed her at once. She let out an indignant howl and dove into the water after them, sending freezing water into their faces.

"All right, who invited the girl- ow!" Curt shouted when Inga punched him rather hard on the shoulder. "You've got quite a left hook."

"Try growing up with 2 brothers and not developing the ability to keep them at bay." Inga retorted gleefully.

"Yeah, yeah. I see why you like her so much, Al." Curt poked Alton in the stomach. "You should marry her."

"Ew, no!" both Inga and Alton shouted in unison.

"She's like my sister!" Alton shook his head profusely. "Never going to happen."

"Not ever." Inga agreed.

"Nope. Sorry sweetie, but you're getting married to the great Fearless Finn Haddock." Alton teased.

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!" Inga shrieked, shoving Alton away from her and into slightly deeper water.

"Never!" Alton splashed her in the face as a retort.

"Ah ah!" Curt thrust his arms out to separate the two. "Don't make me play peacemaker, it's not really my thing."

"I will never marry that pigheaded jerkface! Ever!" Inga yelled over Curt's words. "How dare you say that to me!"

"Inga and Finn sitting in a tree-" Alton began before being shoved under the water by Inga. He came up laughing and continuing his chant.

"I'm just going to let you two handle this then." Curt rolled his eyes and tried to swim away.

"Oh no you don't!" Alton grabbed his brother's arm. "You started it, you're going to finish it!"

"Leave me out of your domestic squabbles." Curt had nearly made it to the shore before he lost his balance and fell back into the pond. "All right, that's it!"

And with that, the three of them spent a fun afternoon splashing and antagonizing each other at the pond. All in all, a very typical day.

* * *

Erick couldn't remember the last time he had felt this carefree. Except when he had to spend mornings and evenings at home with his mom, brother, and sister-in-law, life was pretty good. When he wasn't working he spent most of his free time with Taryn and Aud and Curt, and the more frequently he did, he found himself smiling and laughing more than he had since before his father's death.

He couldn't deny the fits of loneliness that would plague him on sleepless nights or quiet days in the shop. He reasoned that he had no reason to feel lonely since he'd been surrounded by loving people for countless months now. But he knew that deep down, he wasn't happy. Not really.

Time at home was painful. Memories of his childhood with his father sitting at the head of the table or in his favorite chair in the living room bombarded him at random times, piercing his heart like a cold dagger. His mother's constant harping and brother's interminable, condescending attitude of ill will toward him combined forced him into his room or out the door on a constant basis.

Was it so much to ask to just feel wanted? To feel loved like everybody else? He felt selfish for thinking it. Was it wrong to think that way? He told himself it wasn't wrong to want something so necessary so badly, but he figured if he voiced such thoughts aloud, he'd surely be reprimanded for being a proud, selfish-

Erick dropped his work tools in a huff and buried his face in his hands. He couldn't deny the pain or the sadness that still lingered. No matter how hard he tried and no matter how happy his girlfriend and sister and brother-in-law made him, he couldn't hide from the pain under the surface. It always came back in the quiet moments. The problem wasn't anyone but himself. His inner demons continually tried to claw themselves to the surface, as if testing him to see how he'd react. He didn't want to react. He wanted to live and breathe like a normal teenager, forget the hurt, the pain, and the past.

Was that so much to ask?

"Erick?"

Erick sat up with a long sigh, ignoring Horst looming in the doorway. He picked up his seam ripper and continued on the saddle lying on his desk.

"What's wrong?"

Erick suppressed another sigh. "'m fine."

"No, you're not. You've been quiet all day." Horst stepped inside the workspace and stood beside the desk. Gentler, he asked again, "What's wrong?"

Erick pursed his lips, threading a needle and trying to drown out his bosses' words—hard to do in dead silence. He began sewing for another silent minute before the thoughts swirling in his mind couldn't be help back any longer.

"I have a great girlfriend. My oldest brother and two sisters make sure I'm doing okay on a frequent basis, especially Aud. I shouldn't wish for more than that because I am loved." Erick scowled at the saddle as if it was the inanimate object's fault for making him feel so terrible. "So why do I still feel lonely?"

Horst was quiet for a few minutes. If Erick hadn't known Horst to be a quiet consultant who weighed every word, he might have thought he'd tuned out.

"I think," Horst began in even tones. "What you're feeling is normal. It's natural to want love and attention from those closest to you. Or who should be."

The blond set down his work with a huff. He stared at the wall for a few quiet minutes before shaking his head. "What I wouldn't give for my mother to not hate my guts. I wouldn't ask for her to wait on my every need and be… I don't know, go out of her way to make me feel special, but for her to be at least pleasant?"

Erick shook his head again and began to sew again. "I don't ask for much, or anything really. I simply walk in the room and I'm a burden."

"Your mother has always been strong-willed and headstrong. Not always the nicest person to get along with." Horst commented. "That's why she was a great match for your father. His carefree, come-what-may attitude combined with her stubborn, go-get-'em lifestyle, they accomplished much in their life together." Horst took note of Erick's glare, wondering if the leather might melt at any second. "Your mother always had a plan and as long as things went accordingly, she was always in her best mood. If things didn't, well… it always has taken her a long time to come to terms with things she didn't plan for."

"So in summary, I ruined her life." Erick bit out.

"No." Horst bent down and stopped Erick's hands. The teen exhaled heavily and put the tools down again. "You sew any faster, you'll sew your own fingers together. No. Can you imagine losing your best friend after so many years of close marriage?"

"…no."

"No." Horst smiled gently. "I know it's difficult and it's hard and you're trying. I know you're fed up and granted, she could try a lot harder. But give her the benefit of the doubt in some cases. She misses him as much as you do. Maybe even more."

Erick nodded numbly, staring at his lap. He wanted to respond but suddenly his mind was blank. Was his mother's constant animosity toward him a result of his father's death? He couldn't honestly remember what life was like, aside from having a dad and a best friend with whom he spent every waking moment.

"Thought I'd be over it by now," Erick mumbled at last. "The older I get, the worse it feels."

Horst smiled sympathetically and squatted beside the teen to look him in the eyes. "Did I ever tell you that I had a twin sister?"

Erick blinked and stared at him in surprise. "You did?"

Horst nodded. "She was my best friend. We spent every waking moment together since we were babies, literally." They chuckled lightly.

Erick dreaded his next question. "What happened to her?"

Horst's smile slipped off his face but he held Erick's gaze. "Fishing accident. She drowned when we were twelve."

The air sucked out of Erick's lungs. "What?"

Horst nodded gently. "I know you can imagine the shock and terror. The aftermath. The sleepless nights. I…" The man looked away for a moment, suddenly scrambling for composure. Erick was at a loss. He'd never seen his mentor like this, not once in his entire life. Horst breathed a laugh. "What I'm trying to say is… well, look at me. All these years and I still can't talk about her without choking up."

Erick nodded in understanding.

"The pain… won't ever go away. It's going to hurt and it's always going to be there. But you must allow things and people to come into your life that will dull that pain. You mustn't let yourself focus on it, not to the point that you _never_ think about it. It's good to remember sometimes, but not the bad things. The good things. Treasure the good times you had with him, _and_ …" Horst paused. "Treasure the times you have with people now. We don't know how long we have. Love your mother, even though she may not act like she loves you. She's still here and deep down, she _does_ love you. It just… may take some time for her to show it."

Erick nodded again, at a complete loss. The back of his throat hurt from holding back waves of emotion. He wanted to cry. "Why… why haven't you told me any of this before?"

Horst smiled and patted his shoulder. "You know me. I always wait for the opportune moment."

"So…" Erick paused. "That is good advice… and I'll try to use a different perspective at home with it. But… what about outside of home with… others?"

"Adrianna?"

"Hypothetically."

Horst chuckled. "Ah… I will say the same thing: treasure people while they're here. We don't know how long we have. Why should we spend all of our waking moments bitter against each other? Would you want to spend the rest of your life knowing that you didn't apologize or didn't accept an apology, or didn't take the opportunity to apologize? However you want to look at it, what if…" Horst paused, seeming to consider his words carefully before continuing. "And truly, Asgard forbid it… what if Adrianna passed away tomorrow? You'd live the rest of your life wishing that you'd taken advantage of the time, wouldn't you?"

Erick felt his young, small world narrow to a single point. "Wow… yeah. Yeah, I would."

"Then you know what you have to do." Horst smiled as he stood. "Ugh these old knees can't handle that much longer. All right, get outta here."

"Huh?" Erick looked out the doorway in surprise. "It's already evening?"

"Yup! Amazing how fast time goes when you ask for my advice."

Erick snorted. "Wise old goat."

"Unless you'd like to work overtime-"

"Nope! Ha ha, no. I'm outta here." Erick grabbed his satchel as stood, resolving to finish the saddle in the morning. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"All right, laddie."

Erick paused in the doorway. "Horst? Um… thanks."

Horst beamed and nodded. "Anytime."

Erick trotted out the front door and started toward Aud's house. While he walked, he considered Horst's advice. He thought about his mother and Nikolas… cornering them to talk about their differences would be _very_ difficult. He figured he'd need more time with them. But Adrianna… Horst's words had struck a chord deep inside his chest.

They had a lot of differences and misunderstandings, but at the core, they were so trivial. What if something did happen to her and he'd never asked forgiveness? He didn't know if he could live with himself. The thought made him sick to his stomach!

However, he knew her to be busy at the moment—it was dinnertime after all. She was probably spending time with Brandyn anyway. He didn't know how he'd get her away from that guy just to talk for a few minutes, or heck, how she'd respond if she even wanted to talk to him.

But he had to try. He resolved in his mind to find her the next day somewhere, sometime. Even if she didn't want his apology and didn't accept him, he had to try.

Erick finally arrived at Curt and Aud's house a few minutes later, his mind in a whirl of thoughts and emotions he hadn't felt in a long time. He didn't know what exactly it was about his conversation with Horst, but something had lit up inside that seemed to set his nerves on edge.

He threw the door open and tossed his satchel on a bench. "Hey… guys." He paused in surprise at Taryn sitting beside her brother at the table as Aud bustled around the kitchen. "Hey, didn't know you were here."

Taryn snorted. "You just walked in the door."

"You know what I meant." Erick rolled his eyes as he took the chair beside her.

"You looked excited when you came in." Aud commented. "Care to share?"

"I… Well, I was talking to Horst and he gave me some good advice, and I'm kinda… I don't know if I'm excited or freaking out, but whatever it is, I haven't felt like this in… ages."

Curt laughed. "Soooo what wise advice did he give you?"

Erick glanced at Taryn, wondering how she'd take this. "Well… we were talking about mom and stuff, and… Adrianna…" He glanced at Taryn, who's expression hadn't changed. He plowed forward, "Anyway, Horst said we don't know how much time we have with people so it's good to make amends while we can. Basically."

"Soooo you're going to talk to Adrianna?" Aud asked as she chopped some lettuce.

"I…" Erick's stomach lurched and he suddenly felt sick. "Oh gods…"

"You're going to?" Taryn asked, excitement in her voice.

Erick raised an eyebrow. "You're… okay with this?"

Taryn raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips. "You're not asking her on a date, right?'

"No! Of course-"

"I've been wanting you to talk to her for ages. Of course I'm okay with this!"

"Okay… good. T-that's… wonderful." Erick stuttered. He realized he was rapping his knuckles on the table top and froze. He was actually going to talk to her. He was going to apologize to Adrianna and hope that she'd forgive him. And maybe, just _maybe_ they could be friends again. His stomach lurched again and he took a deep breath. "Oh boy…"

Curt laughed. "Are you okay? You look like you just lost a pint of blood."

"I'm fine, just…" Erick bit his lip. "I haven't talked to her normal in…" He shook his head. "Maybe I shouldn't, I'm terrified."

"Terror is good, man, you'll be fine. Your nervousness will show her that you're taking it seriously."

"Think so?"

"Yup. Being all swag and comfortable and confident wouldn't make your apology sound very legitimate."

"True."

Aud hustled over with a pan of meatloaf, a basket of rolls, a jug of lemonade, and a handful of silverware. How she was able to carry it all without dropping anything was a mystery. "You'll do fine. She's as stubborn as any Haddock would be, but she'll come through."

"Mmm…" Erick hummed.

"Don't worry about it too much." Taryn took his hand.

Erick frowned. "You're enjoying this."

"I haven't seen you worked up about something like this before, of course I'm enjoying this."

"Oh hush up and eat your meatloaf."

* * *

It felt like a full house. Adrianna sat in the living room chair with a book, Finn was laying spread eagle on the couch, but upside down with his head dangling close to the floor while he sharpened a knife (a feat that was probably not so smart), and Astrid continued sewing a pair of trousers at the kitchen table. Toothless snoozed near the fireplace, wrapped in a ball as the flames heated his scales.

Hiccup glanced around the big room, reveling in everyone's closeness and pleasant attitudes. Just sitting in the quiet of each other, nobody arguing or nitpicking or bickering. He had to enjoy it while it lasted because who knew when it would happen again?

Focusing back on his prosthetic, he grabbed a mini wrench and tweaked the inner screws, sending a metallic _creak_ through the quiet space with every turn. It thankfully wasn't a grating sound; he'd hate to interrupt the silence with something obnoxious.

By the fireplace, Toothless' head snapped up with wide eyes. Hiccup focused on him immediately. "Toothless?" Astrid was the next to eye him in concern. The twins continued in their activities without batting an eye.

The Night Fury stood and his eyes narrowed to slits, a low growl coming from his throat as he went to the window. Hiccup quickly strapped on his leg and walked to the window himself, searching for anything out of the ordinary.

Darkness enveloped everything, as it was nearing ten at night. Nothing seemed out of place, but his dragon very obviously sensed something wrong. He began to consider if a burglar was stupid enough to attack his home with a Night Fury inside, when a loud growl was heard in the air, followed by a bright light. A flash of wings disappeared from view before Hiccup realized what was happening.

"Hiccup-"

"GET DOWN!" Hiccup turned and tackled Astrid to the floor just as a fireball exploded just outside the window, sending shards of glass and wood flying. Adrianna screamed and covered her face with her book as Finn flipped to the other side of the couch.

Hiccup and Astrid crouched on the ground as Toothless roared out the now blown-out window. Roars and screeches echoed from the outside, and it was apparent what was happening. Hiccup ran to Adrianna and picked large pieces of glass off of her. She surprisingly didn't slap him away. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah." She nodded. "what's going on?"

"Raid! Astrid, get in the air. Finn, stay here and protect Addie."

"What- I can help!

"-don't need protecting from this oaf!"

"Both of you stay here! That's an order!" Hiccup shouted as he ran outside, Toothless already crouched to take off. They took off and were joined in the air by Astrid and Stormfly seconds later. With a quick glance, their house seemed to be fine—only the one blast seemed to take out the west side window and char the outside. It could have been much worse.

"They're attacking the west side of the village!" Astrid yelled over the wind. Hiccup glanced down to see other riders in the air, taking down attacking wild dragons as they went. He spotted Snotlout and Fishlegs among them.

"Let's just hope they're here for the sheep. Lets go!" Hiccup shifted Toothless's tail into position and zoomed forward.

* * *

Laughter bubbled through the house as Curt made impressions of different people, like Snotlout or Horst or Bucket. The dishes had been cleared away hours ago and the two teenagers should've gone home long ago, but they enjoyed Aud and Curt's company too much. Erick reveled in his girlfriend's laughter and was pleased to realize his sadness from that afternoon seemed to disappear. He forced himself not to think about when it might come back.

"I'm not related to you!" Taryn managed through her laughter. "I don't even know you."

"So that explains why we have the same nose, hair and-"

"You have the same nose hair?" Aud asked.

"No!"

"Ugh that's repulsive!" Taryn cried.

Aud grabbed the sibling by their ears. "Here, let me see!"

"No get away from me!"

"Aud, I need my right ear, it's very important!"

Erick snickered. "As opposed to your left ear?"

"Shut up Larson!" Curt finally swatted his wife's hands away. She stuck her tongue out, to which he rolled his eyes. "So childish."

"So whiny."

Taryn sighed. "Here we go again."

"Someday, my dear, you too will marry someone, and I just hope you have just as much teasing each other like we do." Aud leaned close to Curt and rubbed her nose against his, making her husband smile wide. He glanced at the blushing Erick and wagged his eyebrows.

"Gods, this is so weird." Erick covered his eyes.

Taryn poked him. "It could be worse."

"Don't encourage them!"

Curt snickered as he stood. "No worries, we won't let things get too crazy. We'll wait til after you leave."

"Oh geez…" Erick sighed.

Curt laughed as he trekked up the stairs. "I'll be right back. I'm going to put on a lighter shirt. It's hot in here."

Taryn stretched. "I should probably go home soon anyway."

"Yeah," Erick frowned. "I'll walk you home."

"Mkay."

The teens noticed Aud smiling at them warmly and Erick raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Aud shrugged. "Oh nothing. I was just thinking."

"About?" Taryn prompted.

Aud bit her lip as she glanced toward the stairs. "Oh… Erick asked a few weeks ago when we'll be having kids. And-"

"Oh my gods, are you pregnant?!" Taryn gasped.

"No!" Aud laughed. "No… but we're trying."

Erick nodded once with finality. "Thanks for the… um… notification? Good luck?"

The girls chortled as he buried his face in his hands again. "Sometimes Erick-"

"Whaaat? What do you expect me to say? Let me know how it goes? Have fun? Seriously, is this what you women talk about-"

"No, of course not!" Taryn blushed scarlet.

Aud's laughed into her hand. "You guys are-"

A loud boom erupted from somewhere outside and all mirth disappeared from the room. "What was that?" Taryn asked.

The trio stood and walked toward the door. Aud called up the stairs, "Curt, what was that?"

"I don't know," He replied from the bedroom. "We should probably-"

They never heard the rest of Curt's response.

Loud, maniacal roars were heard outside with increasing volume before it happened. A surging heat could be felt as orange light began to glow outside the windows. And then, the windows exploded as dragon fire rained down from the sky. The force of impact rocked the structure to its core, throwing all its occupants to the floor with furniture, broken wood and glass. Fire raced up the wood columns, curtains and it was only a matter of seconds before the entire house was on fire.

Erick sat up in a daze, recoiling from the fire burning all around him. He coughed painfully and looked around frantically. "Taryn?!" He heard heavy coughing nearby and scrambled to his knees, crawling toward her. "Taryn!"

"Erick, I'm stuck!"

He finally found her half-pinned underneath a book case. Thankfully it had caught on a fallen chair so its weight wasn't completely crushing her, but just enough where she couldn't move out. Erick quickly got to his feet and lifted a corner of it as hard as he could, trying not to inhale the smoke. Suddenly he found the weight of it lessen and realized Aud was lifting the other corner. Taryn gasped when the book case lifted off of her and quickly scrambled out. Aud and Erick dropped the bookcase and crouched beside her, avoiding the smoke.

"Can you walk?" Aud yelled over the wreckage.

"I don't know!" Tears brimmed in Taryn's eyes. "My knee's twisted!"

"Let's get her up, come on!" Aud and Erick each lifted her underneath her arms and managed to hobble to the door, which was only half-burning. Another explosion rocked the foundation and the women screamed, Aud with determination. Erick managed to kick the door open and they stumbled outside, the blast of cold night air painfully filling his lungs. They carried Taryn far away from the wreckage and gently sat her down. They stayed low and watched in horror at what was happening.

Dozens upon dozens of wild dragons seemed intent on torching the village and stealing the livestock. Many council members and villagers could be seen both in the air and on the ground, trying to douse fires and protect their village.

Erick panted heavily, staring back at Curt and Aud's-

He froze. Curt was still inside. Aud stood there as if waiting for him to come running out. He didn't.

"Aud…" He breathed, but she was already staring back at the house. "Aud, don't- DON'T!"

Aud took off toward the house, running faster than he would have expected. He tore after her, ignoring Taryn's screams for him to stay. A few people yelled at them to stop, to stay away from the wreckage, but Aud kept running. Erick knew Aud to be the most stubborn of the Larson children. He knew she wouldn't stop until she had rescued her husband from the flames.

Aud slammed into the front door, torrents of flames erupting when the oxygen hit. She disappeared inside and from Erick's sight. Erick jumped onto the porch to follow when a large section of the roof crumbled, slamming toward the doorway. Erick lurched to the side, trying to dodge. The heat blistered his skin and threatened to catch his clothes on fire, but he still tried to claw his way to the doorway, only partially clear now.

Suddenly, strong arms grabbed him and yanked him back. Erick thrashed and struggled, but the man still dragged him away from the house. Erick finally noticed the Night Fury standing a few feet away and realized who the man was.

"Hiccup, it's Aud and Curt, they're trapped inside! We have to help them!"

Hiccup finally shoved himself in front of Erick and thrust him backwards. "I know, but I won't let you in there yourself-"

"WATCH OUT!"

Erick watched in near slow motion as a large fireball from a wild Gronckle whizzed by and erupted between the neighboring houses. The force of the explosion knocked everyone off their feet, even Toothless. He turned in time to see the last of the foundations give way, and the house crumbled from top to bottom in a raging inferno.

Erick's ears buzzed and his chest burned from the smoke. He scrambled to his feet, kicking up dirt and sprinted toward the house. Again, Hiccup appeared out of nowhere and blocked his path. Erick slammed into him, trying to get to the wreckage. Aud was still in there, they had to find her!

"Hiccup, let me go! We have to get her!"

"Erick stop-"

"They're stuck inside, Hiccup, you have to let me go-"

Hiccup struggled with the teen, using every ounce of his strength to keep him back. "I can't!"

"Hiccup PLEASE, they're trapped inside!"

"ERICK! NO!" Hiccup finally shouted, his strength winning over Erick's.

Erick's knees buckled, his hand outstretched behind Hiccup toward the house where his sister and brother-in-law burned alive. "Aud… Aud…" Erick cried, his eyes finally filling. He struggled again, trying to move forward. Hiccup wouldn't budge. Erick's voice cracked, "Please, Hiccup!"

"I'm sorry." Hiccup whispered in his ear, clutching him to his chest. "There's nothing else we can do."

"No…" Erick cried, burying his face in Hiccup's shoulder. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening, no, this was all a sick, twisted dream!

"Aud! NO!"

Lara. His mother.

"No!" Lara wailed, crumpling to her knees. "Not my sweet Aud!"

Erick felt a wave of hysteria choke him. He shoved it down. Aud wasn't gone, she couldn't be! His mother, the strongest, toughest woman in the world wasn't sobbing ten feet away, Hiccup wasn't holding him tightly, his sister's home wasn't burned to the ground, and Aud. Wasn't. Gone.

Erick shook himself out of Hiccup's arms and stood up, staring at the flames blankly. He dug his fingernails into his palms hard enough to cut, and the image didn't disappear. Smoke billowed through the night sky, flames crackled, wood popped… this was _real_.

Erick stepped away with increasing speed, ignoring Hiccup as he tried to grab his arm. He rammed into someone from behind, whirling around to see Horst.

"Hey hey," Horst held out his arms. "Erick, no, this isn't your fault, it was an acc-"

"She's gone." Erick whispered, hysteria taking over as he grabbed his hair. "Aud's gone, she went back inside and I couldn't stop her, I didn't stop her, why didn't I stop her? This isn't happening, tell me this isn't happening!"

"Erick." Horst wrapped the boy in his arms and felt him trembling. "This isn't your fault. _It's not your_ _fault._ "

But Erick wasn't listening. He couldn't hear anything. He could barely breathe. The last thing he saw before blacking out was the blazing wreckage that used to be his sister's house.

* * *

It had to be three in the morning and as was typical at that hour, the Haddock house was silent. But not because anyone was sleeping.

Finn quietly sanded some boards to fix the window in the morning. He'd get some glass from the forge too. He glanced up at Adrianna sitting on a chair nearby, her face red and puffy from crying. His parents sat on the couch, his mom wrapping his dad's left forearm and hand, which was covered in blisters and burns from the fires.

They'd returned home at least an hour ago, but both were so quiet it took a lot of patience of Finn's end to wait until they'd spill the news. Curt and Aud Brand were gone, their home burned to the ground. Erick and Taryn had barely gotten out in time. There were many injuries across the village, especially on the west side. Most injuries were severe burns. There were few deaths, but nobody was celebrating.

Wild dragons didn't raid the village very often. They hadn't done that on a frequent basis since his parents were teenagers. But that didn't mean that wild dragons didn't sometimes decide to make an entrance.

Astrid finished wrapping Hiccup's hand and sat quietly, taking his other hand. Finn took a minute to watch his father blankly stare at the floor. Normally, he wouldn't care about people's feelings and emotions, especially his dad. But if there was one thing he knew, it was that his father _hated_ funerals. Of course, nobody liked funerals. However, he suspected that his mother's early death, father's sudden death, and… other deaths in the family… well, funerals were definitely despised.

Now he had to perform a pyre for two young people who were very active in the community and very nice people. Even Finn knew how awesome Curt Brand was and his wife Aud Larson Brand was downright amazing. She get right up in a guy's fight and take them all down with one hand. She was awesome! Not to mention her cooking skills.

Finn pursed his lips, knowing his reasons were stupid by comparison. He felt bad for Erick, witnessing his sister's death after he watched his father die a few years prior. This is why he didn't get close to people.

Astrid broke the silence in a small voice. "You did everything you could."

Hiccup reached up and rubbed his eyes. He exhaled heavily. "Of all families…" Astrid nodded. "Of all kids…"

"Is he okay?" Adrianna asked timidly. "Erick?"

Hiccup's gaze didn't leave the floor. "He was going back inside to get her. I wouldn't let him."

"Yeah, but is he okay?"

"What do you think, Adrianna?" Hiccup's head shot up, making the three jump. He stared at her with an angry expression. "If you had lost me to sickness, and then watched Finn go inside to save your mom from a fire, and then burn to death when the roof collapses, would you be okay?"

Astrid set her hand on Hiccup's arm to calm him. Adrianna stared at him with tearful eyes. "No. I wouldn't."

Hiccup nodded, but calmly replied, "Then why are you asking me that?"

Adrianna shrugged. "Stupid question."

"You want my advice?" Hiccup asked. "Give him a few days and go see him. Put away the stupid pity party and be his friend. Gods know he's going to need one."

"He's got Taryn-"

"Whose brother is…" Astrid clued in.

Realization dawned on Finn. Curt was also Taryn's brother. "Gods…"

Hiccup looked at Finn. "I know. Two families… I don't know which one is going to need more help. I don't want to be biased and say the Larsons-"

"We'll work it out." Astrid interrupted. "Both families will have all the support they need. But I think that's enough talking for one night. We should all get to bed."

The twins sat there for a few more moments before Finn stood. He brushed past his dad, pausing for a moment. He felt like he should say something but nothing came to mind. Nothing that wasn't cliché or that he wouldn't hear enough of anyway. He wasn't one for encouragement to begin with. That was getting too close and personal, too lovey-dovey, too touchy feely for his nature. Someone else would have wiser words.

With that thought in mind, Finn tromped up the stairs, ignoring the sadness he felt inside and went to bed, forcing himself to think happy thoughts. But try as he might, the images of licking flames sizzled through his subconscious, accompanied by the quietest echoing whisper wafting through his head as if it were an empty chamber.

" _Fortis."_

Strong. Finn would need to be strong to survive this. He would need to show that what had happened didn't affect him at all. He would have to push aside his weak feelings and work to repair the village until he couldn't work anymore. Now was the time to prove what kind of leader he was, to not allow the emotions to overtake him as they had overtaken his father. As he grasped his necklace in his fist, he shut his eyes and allowed himself to stew in his determination, to let go of the anguish he felt bubbling up like bile. Only the strong could survive.


	6. Breakdown

Finn had always liked fire. The crackling sounds it made, the sparks that danced above it, the way everyone's shadows were always oddly warped and elongated by its light… fire was always a source of fascination for him and ever since he was small, he enjoyed staring into its depths and taking it all in.

Now, fire was a harsh, destructive force capable of decimating the village and snuffing out life. The Haddock boy could scarcely believe that the charred wood upon which he walked early the next morning had once been sturdy homes for dozens of his fellow Hooligans. It certainly didn't seem possible that only 24 hours ago, this had been a cozy section of the village or that there had been four people living and breathing and going on with their day blissfully unaware that it was their last day on Berk, their last day __ever__.

Finn watched his father as they walked through the village together. Hiccup's face was paler than usual, his eyes firmly set on the road ahead and falling upon those already helping with the rebuilding and, though it made Finn sick to his stomach to think about, retrieving the bodies of those who had died. In addition to Aud and Curt, one other couple had been killed in the blaze. They were elderly and had been taking a nap at the time. It looked like they had died instantly, so quickly it was unlikely they even knew what had happened until they had awakened in Valhalla. Their daughter was living on Brawn and had just given birth to a son days before. Finn had overheard them telling Gobber that they were going to visit her and meet their first grandchild. They had been __so__ excited but now…

Finn shook his head. There was no reason to get sentimental. It wasn't like they were __his__ grandparents after all. All four, no, __five__ of them had been dead for years. He knew how heavily that could weigh on someone's heart. But now was no time to show _weakness_ , not with so many people looking up to him and his father. He couldn't let them down. As his father and grandfather had always said, "a chief protects his own."

Hiccup and Finn entered Mara's now crowded house. A section of the roof was scorched but everything else seemed to have been undamaged. This was truly something to be thankful for because Mara had never been needed more. At least thirty people of all ages were being treated by Mara and several of her helpers. A teenage girl named Tori, who was scarcely older than Finn, was getting some of her most intense on the job training. She was changing the dressings on Ruffnut's burns. Tuffnut was in another corner of the room with Svala, whose shoulder had a nasty burn on it but who otherwise looked okay. Ava slept peacefully, completely unharmed. Finn knew that they had been very worried that the smoke would have made her sick but Mara had assured them that she would be perfectly fine. Svala had saved her life when she had used her body to shield her baby from a falling beam, hence her own burns.

"Is there anything I can do?" asked Hiccup the moment Mara bustled up to him.

Mara smiled at him for a moment before pointing to the far corner, where the Jorgenson and Larson families were huddled. "Would you change Erick's bandages? And Finn, would you do Snotlout's?"

Both Haddocks agreed without hesitation and made their way to the corner. Hiccup wanted to cry when he caught sight of Erick. The boy had obviously not slept well and seemed to be in a state between sleeping and waking. He flinched horribly when Hiccup gently placed his hands on his shoulder but Magnus assured him that it was okay. The remaining Larson daughter was crying silently on Gustav's shoulder. She and Aud had had their fair share of squabbles but they had truly cared about each other. Lara and Nikolas didn't seem to be there, which struck Hiccup as odd but he didn't think too hard about it.

Hiccup was silent as he tended to Erick's burns. He was as gentle as possible but the boy still flinched to the touch. As he worked, he could hear Finn talking to Snotlout and Heather.

"I didn't do anything any parent wouldn't have done." Snotlout was saying as he allowed Finn to work on his own wounds.

"You saved her life." Heather insisted, her voice quivering slightly. " _Again_."

"What happened?" asked Finn, genuinely curious.

"Inga was running out of the house behind us." Dustin said in a dead sort of voice. "And we thought she was right there so we just ran out."

"Dad noticed she wasn't there." added Vidar. "He ran back in to get her."

"Did she have one of her… you know…" Finn jerked his head to the sleeping girl next to him.

"Looks like it." Snotlout sighed deeply. "She was lying there twitching but she may have passed out because of the smoke. I'm not sure what exactly happened."

"He carried her out." Heather lovingly kissed her husband's forehead. "Almost died doing it. When I think about what could have happened…"

"Don't." Finn advised them calmly. "She's okay. That's what matters."

Heather nodded, gently brushing her daughter's bangs from in front of her face. Finn looked over at her and jumped slightly. Inga's long black hair was singed so badly, it was now at least a foot shorter. As he watched, Hiccup felt the tiniest pang of sympathy. Inga loved her hair and would likely be very upset to wake up with so much of it missing.

Hiccup turned back to focus on his work on Erick's burns. The boy's skin was raw and red and blistered but, under the circumstances, he supposed it could have been a lot worse. At least Erick would make a full recovery. Well, he'd make a _physical_ recovery. There was no telling whether or not he would ever be emotionally stable again. The Hooligan chief blinked a few times to keep the tears down at the thought. Of all the families on Berk, _why_ the Larsons? Why _Erick_?

"I'm so sorry." he whispered to Magnus and Gustav.

"Don't be." Magnus sniffed and wiped her eyes on her hand before looking at Hiccup. "You saved Erick's life."

Hiccup nodded and gritted his teeth until the urge to cry passed. Yes, he had saved Erick from certain fiery death. A part of him was deeply thankful that the Larsons had not suffered yet another loss, particularly of their youngest family member. An incredibly selfish part of him was thankful that he had managed to avoid giving his daughter another reason to hate him. But guilt ate away at him like a parasite, sucking out anything remotely hopeful about the situation. All he had done was to ensure that the Larsons had only lost one child, not two.

Erick stirred in his sleep, reacting to Hiccup's touch on his sensitive skin. Hiccup withdrew his hands until the boy calmed down again. He was forcibly reminded of checking on Finn in the nights after Benen had died. Finn too had looked like every second of the day continued to torture him, even in sleep. The Hooligan chief looked up and saw Taryn being treated by Tori, who had just finished Ruffnut's bandages. The Brand girl was only half conscious but her family looked alert. Her father was lovingly holding her to his chest to keep her warm, her mother was helping Tori with the dressings on her twisted knee. Both of them were crying silently. Alton was backed against the wall a few feet away, his legs drawn up to his chest and his eyes fixed on his family, almost like he feared they would disappear if he stopped looking at them for even a second. Hiccup remembered that feeling. He remembered being a scared little boy in the corner staring at his father and praying that the gods wouldn't take him away too. It wasn't a memory he wanted to revisit, not today.

A low moan shook him out of his reminiscing. Erick stirred, his eyes fluttering open. Magnus leaned over him and brushed his bangs out of his eyes.

"Hey." she whispered soothingly. "It's okay, you're safe."

The youngest Larson groaned, barely moving but not breaking eye contact with his sister. His _only_ sister now. Hiccup felt awkward, like he was intruding on something extremely private, but he was nearly done securing Erick's final bandage. As he worked, Erick let out a whimper of pain. The raw, blistered skin had to be agony. Hiccup finished his work as quickly and gently as he could.

"I'm going to walk around, see who else needs help." he told Magnus and Gustav.

They nodded and he stood up. The last thing he saw before he turned his head toward the rest of the healer's house was Magnus leaning down and kissing Erick's forehead. Hiccup longed for a bit of affection, a hug or a pat on the back, _something_ to remind him that there was still good in the world.

But, he thought as he received another instruction from Mara, the world was harsh sometimes. It was painful and sometimes horrible things just happened for no reason at all. It was hard to believe that the same world that allowed him to feel the joy of flying high above the clouds or holding his newborn for the first time could also crush him so completely. Perhaps that was what life was about. Holding onto the most precious moments before they slipped away. Hiccup resolved to do what he could to make sure he didn't take those he loved for granted ever again.

* * *

Lara stood at Erick's far left, standing tall with her lips pressed together in a thin, white line. Nikolas and Mel stood hand in hand in a white-knuckled grip. Gregory held Magnus as she cried, their children sitting in the dirt at their feet, watching on in confusion.

Everyone in the village had come. Hiccup's words should have made him feel something. Instead, the teen just felt dead inside. Lifeless and cold like his sister's coffin. His life had become a flurry of hardships, just like the waves beating upon her boat, carrying her away to a safe distance before Gustav would light her pyre. Where were life's waves taking him? Would his life ever have calm waters again?

Curt's boat bobbed in the waves near Aud's. Erick heard Taryn's sniffles far toward his right; her mother's quiet sobs as her father prepared his bow and flaming arrow, just as Gustav did in front of him. Both men looked at each other, solemnly nodded, and drew their flaming arrows.

And then, it happened.

The air sucked out of Erick's lungs in one foul swoop.

Seeing his oldest brother draw the bow to light his sister's pyre threw him into a sense of déjà vu, and a wave of vertigo crashed over him. Erick remembered the day his father died. He remembered hugging him one last time before they closed his coffin. He remembered watching it sail through the water until, just as he did now, Gustav shouldered the responsibility as head of the Larson household and lit the pyre.

Gustav had lit his father's pyre. And now he had to light his little sister's. The thought made Erick sick—he began to tremble.

The oldest of the Larson children released the arrow. The flaming weapon sailed into the sky until it slammed onto her coffin. Solidifying the truth. Making it real. Just like their father, she was gone. She was never coming back.

Erick tried to honor his sister; she'd died to save her husband after all. He tried to quench the burning pain rising in his chest, tried to hold still and stop shaking. Aud's pyre was lit. Smoke began to rise as the flames took away whatever remnant they had left of her.

Spots danced in his vision and Erick took a step back. Gregory reached out to grab his arm but the teenager shoved past him. He plowed into a random stranger, rammed his shoulder into another. A few cried out in pain or surprise. Many began to step out of his way, as if understanding his rising hysteria.

Someone called his name. He kept moving until he made it through the crowd. He sprinted into the square and ran to the leather shop as fast as he could. He had to get away from the pyre. From people, from his family, from the smell of burning wood and smoke and the charred remains of two of the most amazing people he'd ever known, who'd tried so _hard_ to make him feel loved and cared for.

Erick rammed into the front door of the leather shop and flung it closed behind him. He launched himself into his work room and slammed the door shut. His breaths quickened and he shook his head.

Frantically, he grabbed the nearest wad of cloth he could find and wrapped it crudely around the handle. He found himself shoving tables and chairs in front of the door. They'd come for him, try to take him back. He couldn't go back, not like this, he couldn't handle another second of it.

Everything he could find was thrown in front of the door to barricade himself in. The usually cluttered space was now clear in the centermost part of the room with a mountain of items in front of the door. He searched the room for more but could only turn in circles.

Still panting, he backed himself into a corner and slid to the floor. A sob threatened to escape and he slapped a hand over his mouth, shaking his head frantically. His shoulders were shaking violently as he tried to physically exhale the pain wrenching his heart. He couldn't breathe, if he inhaled once he knew he'd shatter.

He involuntarily inhaled a sob and tears poured down his face. "No, no, no, no, no…"

When his father died, Erick had felt numb and grief-stricken. He felt pain and sorrow just as he did now. But this time, he could practically feel something snap. Was it his sanity? His ability to love or grow close to anyone ever again? Was it just fear? He didn't know, but every thought that swirled through his brain only forced more hysteria into his system. He couldn't calm down if he tried.

Until he heard something clatter in the room beyond. His sobs hitched to a stop and he struggled between the necessity to breathe from crying so hard and desperately wanting to keep silent.

The doorknob shifted a smidgen, but the cloth held. A soft knock on the wood echoed through the room. "Erick?" It was Horst.

"Erick, let us in please?" And Magnus, apparently. Erick hiccuped, shaking his head against the wall. "Erick, open-"

"Go away!" he cried out, his voice raw and choked.

"Erick please, you need us! You need someone, let someone help you. Please?" Magnus begged.

Erick turned toward the wall and blocked her out. He grabbed a handful of his hair, trying to stop the tears and hiccups. He heard the handle turn harder and the door scrape against the floor. It stopped after an inch with all the junk piled up. Erick felt a rush of satisfaction.

"Erick please, don't do this." Magnus pleaded, her voice much louder in the open space. "Let me help you."

The teen choked down any venomous words that came to mind. Deep, deep down, he knew she was trying to help. That was the problem though. It seemed anyone who tried to help him always got hurt, one way or another.

"Just leave me alone, Mags."

"But-"

"Magnus."

Hiccup. He was out there too, apparently. Instantly, Erick felt worse. The pain of grief surged in his chest once more and he buried his face in his knees, willing himself to tune them out. He heard them talking quietly outside the door; he wished they'd go away to let him drown in his grief in peace. He didn't want a hug. He didn't want a smile. He didn't want light. He wanted to be alone in the dark.

Eventually their voices faded and silence took over the room once more. He felt a little calmer, which only made the silence louder. He wondered at the thought. How could silence be loud?

"Only when you're alone." Erick whispered.

At some point, he fell asleep.

It was the scrape of a chair leg that startled him awake. He saw movement out the corner of his eye, but he didn't move. For all the intruder knew, he was still asleep. Or had never been asleep. He didn't care either way.

Finally, a tall, thin man wedged himself past the mountain of furniture and slowly walked toward him. The room was even darker now, but Erick could never mistake the quiet step- _thunk_ of his chief's gait.

Hiccup crouched in front of him in the darkness. "Erick?"

Erick stared at the dusty floorboards. "Leave me alone to die."

"Don't say that. I won't bury you too."

"Didn't bury her," Erick mumbled.

"You know what I mean," Hiccup softly replied. Erick didn't respond or move. Hiccup moved to his knees, probably to get more comfortable. Great, he planned to stay a while. "Hey… I don't expect you to just… get better. Especially not yet. But… don't shove people away. We just want to help. Magnus, Horst, me-"

"Help." Erick muttered. "Help with what exactly?"

"Help you get better." Hiccup replied. "It will take time, I know, and it isn't easy. You haven't had it easy. But I… I know what this feels like, Erick. And I'm not just talking about Benen."

Erick didn't reply. More empty words. He wouldn't waste breath by responding.

The chief sighed. Erick felt his green gaze searching him out in the twilit room. When Hiccup stood to his feet, he nearly sighed in relief. Until he felt the chief's big hands grab him from under his arms and pull him upwards.

"Hey- what are you-"

"Easy…" Hiccup firmly interrupted, hoisting the teen to his feet. "I'm walking you home."

Erick shook his head. "I can't go home," he whispered.

"Yes. You can." Hiccup held his shoulders gently. "I know things have been hard for you at home. But you can't hide from it."

"You don't know anything. You haven't been around for years, Hiccup." Erick bit out, anger laced through every word.

Hiccup looked down. "I know. For that I'm sorry."

"Everything's been different since-" Since his dad died. Since he shoved Adrianna away. Erick covered his eyes with a hand, feeling them burn again.

Hiccup wrapped him in a tight hug, and somehow he didn't have the strength to fight. "I know. Erick… What happened to Aud wasn't your fault."

"I tried to-"

"And you couldn't, that's okay." Hiccup looked him in the eye. "It's not supposed to be a good thing and it's not supposed to be something we treat lightly, but that's a lot of responsibility to put on a young man. You were brave and strong to try to stop her. But it's not your fault that you weren't successful. It's not your fault that she didn't make it." Erick felt tears slip down his face again. "Erick, it's not your fault."

Erick buried his face in Hiccup's shoulder, allowing himself to cry and be held by someone. He knew he wouldn't get that luxury at home, even with Magnus.

It was a while before Erick calmed enough to pry his face out of Hiccup's armor. "I got your shoulder pad soaked."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Hiccup smiled and wrapped an arm around Erick's shoulders. "Come on, let's get you home."

It took a while to clear the doorway and walk to the Larson house. Darkness had fallen by the time they reached the door. Hiccup gave Erick one last hug before they went inside. "If you need _anything_ at all, I want you to come find me."

"Okay."

Yellow light streamed into the darkness when the door swung open. Magnus rushed forward and wrapped Erick into a tight hug. When she pulled away a minute later, Erick walked inside without so much as a goodbye. He trekked up the stairs and closed his bedroom door, clearly finished with everyone and everything for the night.

Hiccup gently closed the door behind him, but stood in front of it as Magnus reclaimed her seat beside the others at the table. Nikolas, Mel, Lara, and Gustav sat silently, only the men giving him quiet nods.

The chief sighed heavily as he looked at the Larson matriarch, who placidly held a mug of steaming tea. He had to get this over with. "Lara. You can't blame him for what happened to Aud."

"Do not speak her name."

Hiccup glanced at the ceiling. "Just as you refuse anyone to speak of Ola-"

"Shut up or get out." Lara snapped.

"Mother," Magnus sighed.

Lara wasn't finished. "Why wouldn't I blame the boy? He had the ability to stop her, he should have!"

"He wasn't fast enough, you know as well as anyone that Aud was the fastest runner of her age group." Hiccup countered. "Lara, you need to seriously think about what this could do to him. He is a young man, strong and smart, but things like this could crush him so hard he'd never be able to get back up. Is that what you want?"

"He's not my problem."

"Not your problem?" Hiccup cried out. "He's your son! And furthermore, he's not a problem! He's a 16-year-old boy, he works hard every day. How is he a problem?"

Nikolas bristled. "Don't you talk like that to my mother."

"Don't start, Nik." Gustav said sharply before turning to Lara. "Mom, really. You can't blame Erick-"

"Just like I can't blame Hiccup for what happened to my Olaf?"

"Mother!" Magnus cried.

The words cut through Hiccup like a knife. He swallowed thickly. "What?"

"You heard me." Lara slowly stood from her chair, slapping Gustav's hand down when he reached out. "He didn't have to go to that stupid council trip to Bog. Noooo, he didn't have to leave Berk at all, he could have stayed home with me, safe and sound. He might still be here today. But no. Who suggested he come along? Who stayed up all hours of the night to build him a fancy saddle to put on his dragon so he could ride, even though he was unable to walk?" Lara cried as she advanced on Hiccup, who didn't budge. He met her gaze head on. She poked his chest with a long finger, scarred and red from needle pricks. "It was YOU! It was YOUR idea to take him along! I said not to, no, I told both of you he'd be better off staying home for his health, it would be better for him! So when he breaks into heinous fevers and coughing fits the day after he returns, and I watch him suffer day by day for nearly a week, who did we trust to find a cure?"

"Mother please!" Magnus pleaded.

"YOU!" Lara shouted. "We trusted YOU! And you FAILED! Just like you always do. So, tell me, why in the world would I NOT blame you for my dear husband's death when you're so very CLEARLY the one to blame? And _furthermore_ ," she said bitingly. "Why in the world would I NOT blame the little… _brat_ for my daughter's death?"

Silence rang through the house. Hiccup felt his heart beating through his armor. He swallowed and nodded gently to the three Larson children at the table. He turned the door handle and opened the door a crack.

"Yes," Lara seethed. "Run away like you always do."

"There's a difference between running away and bowing out. I'll leave you alone except for one thing." Hiccup spoke to Magnus and Gustav more than Lara. "Don't leave Erick to his own devices. He needs as much as love as you can muster." The siblings nodded in agreement. He turned back to Lara. "You always said you loved Olaf's blond hair." Lara bristled. "I'd best treasure Erick's. He's the only one left who has it."

"Get out." Lara snarled through gritted teeth. "And don't you ever come back here again."

Hiccup turned and walked into the darkness. The door slammed behind him, nearly smacking his one remaining heel. He shook his head and began walking. Within seconds, Toothless emerged from the darkness sniffed his rider. "Sorry, Bud. I know you're probably hungry. Been a busy day." He scratched his dragon's scales lovingly. On a whim, Hiccup looked up at Erick's dark window. He wondered if he was already sleeping or if he'd overheard Lara's shouts.

Hiccup sighed. "Come on, Bud. Let's go home." He climbed into the saddle and as they took off he promised himself he'd check in with Erick often. Every day. He wouldn't allow Erick to waste away into nothing. He wouldn't stand by and watch the boy struggle through anymore hardships. He wouldn't do any more Larson funerals.

Not while he could help it.


	7. Choosing to Love

Watching the children of Berk while their parents were away was something Adrianna was beginning to enjoy quite a lot. Berkian children were old enough to take care of themselves within the village limits by age 3 (as long as adults were around) and outside of them by age 6. Thus parents were required to spend an awful lot of time with their youngest children and, as any parent knows, that can be a full time job in and of itself. That was why the parents of the village adored Adrianna. She wasn't expensive and she did a very good job entertaining their little ones while they were away. But now, no one loved Adrianna's childcare service more than Svala Thorston.

"I just fed her," Svala was saying on a sunny day two weeks after the fire, "so she'll probably be fine for the next couple of hours. She's likely to sleep through it all so feel free to sit by and read. Extra diapers are in the bag but you know that."

"We'll be fine." Adrianna said cheerfully, gently rocking her body so Ava would remain calm. "She's already falling asleep."

"If she fusses, it's probably gas. Let her get it out of her system. But if she keeps fussing, come get me." Svala added.

"We're all set, Svala. Really, if she has a problem, I won't hesitate to take her to you. But we've been lucky enough to avoid that so far." Adrianna gently lowered the baby into the crib. "Have a good time!"

"Bless you for doing this on such short notice." Svala said before waving to her baby and leaving the house.

Adrianna stretched before sitting down and getting out her book. She'd finished the spaceman book days ago and had moved onto one she'd found in storage written by the same author. She liked this one too, though it was odd to see such similar writing without the characters she'd grown to love. She was reading a chapter about a man who claimed he could tell the future using the position of the stars (as if anyone could really do that) and had become so engrossed in the story that she didn't hear a nearby window open up.

"Hiya!"

Adrianna let out a startled squeak and jumped. Relief flooded her when she saw Brandyn standing outside the window looking very amused.

"Oh, it's just you."

"How flattering to be greeted with such enthusiasm." Brandyn deadpanned.

"Don't start, it's too early in the morning." Adrianna grinned and walked over to the front door to let him in. "And keep your voice down; Ava's asleep."

"I wasn't going to ruin your fun." Brandyn whispered. He strode over and made a face at the sleeping baby. "Oh, she's a tiny, wrinkled thing, isn't she?"

"She's adorable." Adrianna smacked Brandyn's stomach, making him laugh.

"I guess if you're into that." Brandyn shrugged. "I dunno, I never liked babies. Smelly little things. They're okay when they're old enough to sit up on their own and don't drool all over everything."

"I think they're sweet." Adrianna gently stroked the baby's cheek. "So innocent and cuddly."

"Sure until they puke on you." Brandyn shook his head. "I could survive just fine without ever having changed a diaper."

"Oh come on." Adrianna giggled. "You're not seriously telling me you don't want to have kids one day."

"Well actually," Brandyn scratched the back of his head, "I kind of don't. They tie you down, don't they? I've got a life to live. Maybe when I'm 40, I can have a son and be done with it."

"Can't really decide that ahead of time." Adrianna bit her lip, a sinking feeling in her gut.

"Nah, I guess not. All the more reason to just avoid the whole thing altogether." Brandyn laughed. "Why do you look so disappointed? Is there something you need to tell me?"

"No, don't be ridiculous." Adrianna shook her head vehemently; she didn't even want to think about that. "I just thought... never mind."

 _I thought we'd agree on that_ , she finished her sentence in her head. It wasn't like she was planning to elope with him, they weren't even dating... but she'd always assumed that having children would be a big part of her future. Not because it's what people usually did but because she truly wanted to be a mother. It wasn't something she wanted to do soon, not at 15, but it was on her list of things she most wanted to do when she grew up and moved out of her parents' house. Well, get married first and __then__ have children.

"Helloooooo, Berk to Nani!" Brandyn waved a hand in front of Adrianna's face, making her jump again.

"Sorry, just thinking."

"About?"

"Nothing. It's nothing." Adrianna smiled at him as genuinely as she could. "Do you want to get lunch when I'm done here?"

"I've love to. I was just checking in to ask you that, actually." Brandyn slung an arm over her shoulder. "It wouldn't be the same without you. Morgan never shuts up."

"You've noticed that, have you?" Adrianna laughed. "Do you think Cale actually listens to it?"

"I think he only looks at her to get a peripheral view of her chest, to be honest."

"Brandyn!" Adrianna giggled and put a hand over her mouth before she hiccuped loudly and awoke the sleeping baby.

"Tell me it isn't true." Brandyn waggled his eyebrows at her. "I know what I see. It's a guy thing. I mean she dresses like she wants that anyway."

"She probably does, though that doesn't mean Cale shouldn't control himself." Adrianna said firmly.

"Yeah, I guess not. It's harder for us, you know. And it's not like you're some goody-two-shoes. I know you stare at my butt every time you get the chance." Brandyn winked at her.

"What? No, I... I mean I..." Adrianna's face went scarlet.

"It's fine, I know you don't mean to do it." Brandyn turned his body so his back was facing her. "Is it a nice butt?"

"Brandyn!" Adrianna couldn't tell whether to laugh or crawl under her covers and hide from the world.

"Come on, I'm not shy." Brandyn smacked his backside. "I'm not having a bad butt day today, am I?"

"You're so inappropriate." Adrianna choked out through her giggles.

"You like it." Brandyn winked at her again before walking out the door. "See you at lunch."

"See you." Adrianna shut the door and covered her face in her hands to keep her laughter as silent as she could. Several hiccups jolted her system before she could relax enough to focus on her job.

* * *

Astrid could always tell when her husband was faking it. Ever since they were teenagers, he displayed the same signs: fidgeting, lack of eye contact, and low energy. These sorts of things were easily overlooked when a village is still rebuilding after a major catastrophe. But Astrid knew those symptoms better than anyone. As she walked out of a council meeting, she saw them all as her husband thanked everyone for coming and bade them goodbye only the two of them remained.

"Hey," Astrid said in a gentle voice as she entwined her fingers in his, "want to take a break from all this?"

Hiccup didn't reply. He didn't have to. Taking a deep breath, the two fell in step as they journeyed back to the house they shared. They nodded to Gobber and Finn at the forge (only the former acknowledged their presence) and to Hoark as he brought in the day's catch in a gigantic wheelbarrow. But the couple didn't feel awkward in silence as they might have years ago. Silence is a comforting presence when you love someone. The lack of pressure to end it can be the most freeing feeling in the world.

They returned to the Haddock house all too soon to find their dragons snoozing in the pen nearby. When they walked into the house, Astrid could almost feel the stress radiating off of her husband. The empty Haddock house had a calming effect on her husband despite any past conflicts that had taken place there. The twins were out, Adrianna at Tuffnut and Svala's and Finn at the forge, and the dragons were sleeping. Comforting silence was easy to achieve in this atmosphere.

"Do you want a cup of tea?" Astrid asked in a soothing voice.

"All right. I can make it." Hiccup reached for the kettle.

"You're wearing yourself out, Hiccup." Astrid gently pushed away his hand. "I'll do it."

Hiccup didn't have the energy to argue. He flopped down on the couch and ran his fingers down his face. Astrid put the kettle on and slowly sank down next to him. For a moment, they were completely silent.

"This... is... a... disaster." Hiccup exhaled in a voice that sounded almost like a whine.

"I know." Astrid agreed.

"It's not just the rebuilding, though that's a gigantic task all on its own." Hiccup continued in the same desperate tone. "People healing from the burns, grieving over lost ones. How am I supposed to feel as chief when I walk down the street and see such miserable people? I feel like I owe them something but I don't know what."

"Just keep doing what you're doing." Astrid snuggled into him as he automatically placed an arm around her. "There's not much else you can do."

"When my dad was chief, he made it look easy." Hiccup sighed deeply. "It's not."

"You were expecting it to be?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup breathed a laugh. "No. But I didn't think I'd have to deal with the deaths of two people in their early twenties either."

"Your dad dealt with my brother's. And he was 16." Astrid reminded him. "Chiefs have to be there for the darkest moments of their people's lives. But that doesn't mean they don't have feelings. Or that they don't need a break."

"I don't have time for a break, Astrid." Hiccup groaned. "Just a cup of tea with you will set me back a bit."

"You sound like Finn." Astrid rolled her eyes. "And last time he pulled something like that, he got so sick he was out for days. Forgive me if I don't want the same to happen to you."

Hiccup smiled and snuggled up to her. "You're probably right." he kissed her forehead just as the kettle hissed.

"Tea's ready." Astrid rose from the couch and poured the hot tea into two cups. She then sat back down and took a sip. "Too hot."

"Why do you do that?" Hiccup asked her as he took his own sip. "I'm okay with slightly cooler tea if it makes you more comfortable."

"And yet it's you I'm trying to calm down. And for you, calming down means scalding tea."

"It's not _scalding_..."

"Speak for yourself." Astrid stuck her tongue out at him. "Am I burnt already?"

Hiccup laughed. "You're fine. Your taste buds haven't melted off quite yet."

"That's comforting. If I couldn't eat sweets anymore thanks to your tea preferences, I would have to make the second week of every month even more difficult for you than it usually is."

Hiccup shuddered. "Don't joke about that. Between you and Addie, I feel like I'm in a war zone already."

"You wanted a daughter." Astrid nudged him.

"And I'm thankful for the one I've got." Hiccup grinned. "I mean it could be worse. She could be like Heather and start throwing things at us."

"That's not Heather's fault." Astrid rolled her eyes. "Have you seen who she's married to? Snotlout doesn't understand the concept of tact."

"So we've got about 2 years before the Jorgenson household becomes twice as dangerous." Hiccup breathed a laugh. "I think I'll forcefully remove the boys until everything blows over and let Heather and Inga finish each other off."

"It would be a perfect way to get Snotlout out of the way." Astrid added. "Just take the twins out and lock him in the house with them."

"I don't know, women are pretty smart." Hiccup said thoughtfully. "I think it would be more likely that he'd disappear completely and the house would be spotless when it's over."

Their unrestrained laughter echoed for a few seconds before the house became silent again. Astrid put down her half finished cup of tea and curled into her husband's body.

"Mmm," she hummed, "you're so warm."

"It's the tea." Hiccup quipped as he put down his cup too.

"Very funny." Astrid took a deep breath and relished the scent of leather that always seemed to linger around her husband. "But... can I say something without you getting upset at me for saying it?"

"Why would I get upset?" Hiccup asked with genuine curiosity.

"Well... I guess I had this idea that you'd think I was selfish for saying it."

"What you have to say is important to me." Hiccup placed his arms around her and brought her in closer. "Tell me."

Astrid took a deep breath. "I feel... ignored."

Hiccup's heart constricted. "How so?"

"You've been distant, Hiccup." Astrid said in a patient tone, running her fingers over the leather covering his chest. "I know it's hard with Finn and Adri ignoring you all the time. I know you've been depressed lately. I know the village is in crisis right now so I'm not expecting anything right this second. But any time we've had has been stolen moments. Chaste kisses in public, a bit of cuddling at home here and there. I love you, Hiccup, and that's not ever going to change. I just..." Astrid sighed again. "I just wish we could be more intimate."

"Wait," Hiccup stiffened, "how long has it been since we-"

"A few months now." Astrid answered. "And I'm not saying we need to get going now, I'm just saying I miss you."

"Oh gods..." Hiccup covered his face in his hands. "Astrid, I am _so_ sorry."

"Hiccup, it's okay-"

"No, it's not!" Hiccup shook his head. "All this stuff going on, Aud and Curt and Finn being so angry and Addie and Brandyn, I didn't even think... I am the _worst_ husband. Ever."

"You're really not." Astrid breathed a laugh. "You've needed support. Emotional support. And I learned years ago that if I don't give it to you, everything spirals downwards faster than Toothless with his tail fin on fire."

"Yes but that doesn't give me any excuse to ignore you." Hiccup tightened his hold on her. "In fact, it means I should be appreciating you all the more."

"You're doing fine." Astrid hummed contentedly. "I'm in no mood for that right now anyway. Too tired. But for now, can we just... stay here?"

"Yeah." Hiccup rested his head on top of hers. "That, I can do."

As they got themselves comfortable, their cups of tea forgotten, Hiccup silently thanked the gods for such a loving, patient wife. It truly was a miracle he and Astrid were still together, and _happy_ together at that. Sudden parenthood, stillbirth, kidnapping, fighting, not having enough time together, even _one_ of those things should have broken them up. Any average couple who had endured the kind of strain they had would probably never speak again. But love isn't about euphoric feelings that surround closeness to another person. Love is a choice. It's a choice to ignore your feelings and your anger and to still fight for your loved one regardless of circumstance. And, without a doubt, at this point it was easy to tell that Hiccup and Astrid loved each other with that rare kind of intensity that set them apart from the starry-eyed couples around them.

But even more than that, it was the very same intensity of love for Finn and Adrianna that prevented Hiccup from giving up, despite their disdain. He could only pray that it would be enough to change their attitudes about him before it was too late.

* * *

Erick barely left the house in the two weeks following his sister's death. His skin was still rather raw from his burns but he was healing quite nicely according to Mara. His mother had left him alone for the first week. He honestly preferred the silent treatment from her. It meant no pointless chores. The only thing that made much of a difference was that Lara had stopped cooking for him altogether. He enjoyed cooking, was quite good at it in fact, but it was lonely making his meals late at night when his family had gone to bed.

But the thing that made him most miserable in his home life was the unfortunate fact that the house Nikolas and Mel were going to move into had been completely burned down in the fire. Suddenly, Erick went from feeling hopeful that Nikolas would be out of his hair soon to being forced to accept the reality of another few months of his pompous and incredibly insensitive brother constantly sneering at him.

Hiccup had come by every day since the funeral. He was careful to visit the leather shop instead of the Larson home because Lara didn't want him coming by the house. Horst left him alone most of the time. He, more than anyone, understood Erick's pain and he didn't intrude. Erick worked on his own, trying to keep his emotions at bay.

But emotions are unpredictable at the best of times.

"ERICK!"

Erick froze halfway through a stitch on a saddle. His mother was on the war path and the last thing he wanted to do was cause trouble. Not with her.

"ERICK!" she bellowed again.

"I'm here!" he shouted back. "In the shop."

Thundering footsteps suddenly filled the shop just before Lara threw open the door.

"What the _Hel_ did you do to your room?" she snapped at him.

"My... room?"

"It's like a full scale dragon attack went on in there! I didn't raise you to be that messy or careless!" Lara huffed.

"I'll clean it when I get home." Erick mumbled.

Lara put her hands on her hips. "You'll clean it __now__."

"I have to work!" Erick protested.

"You should have thought of that before you messed it up." Lara pointed to the open door. "Get a move on. I'll tell Horst where you are when he gets back."

"But-"

"No arguments!" Lara said sharply.

Erick walked out of the leather shop with slouched shoulders and his hands in his pockets. In truth, he was neither neat nor messy by nature. He didn't dust everything to perfection but he did like to have some semblance of order to his bedroom. But after Aud, he simply didn't care. Why should he keep his room cleaned when it could all be destroyed in an instant? Why take care of himself when he was going to die anyway? He walked, staring down at his feet and not paying any attention to where he was going.

A body suddenly slammed into his right side. Erick was halfway through mumbling an apology when he stopped and stared. He knew those boots. He looked up and his insides turned to ice. Bright green eyes met his gaze, eyes that showed the same trepidation as his own. _Adrianna_.

"S-sorry." he stuttered, turning away from his former friend. "Didn't see you."

"Erick wait." Adrianna stood her ground and waited for him to face her again. "I'm... I'm really sorry."

"It's fine. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

"No, not that." the Haddock girl continued, trembling slightly at the prolonged eye contact. Erick knew it made her uncomfortable. "I wanted to come by. I just... I didn't know what to say."

Something struck Erick so hard, his knees buckled slightly. Shame flooded through him, drowning his other emotions, even his grief. He wanted to cry again but he gritted his teeth and held it together.

"Anna?"

Adrianna fixed her gaze on him, her eyes full of apprehension at what she was about to hear.

"Not your fault." he mumbled, not sure if he wanted her to hear.

"Sorry?"

"It..." he sighed and forced the tears back. "What happened with my dad. You..." one of the tears rolled down his cheek. "You tried. You just couldn't..."

Adrianna, eyes glistening with tears of her own, suddenly stepped forward and put her arms around him. He felt like she was squeezing the tears out of his eyes. He slowly placed his arms around her too and held on tight.

And just like that, it was as if the last year and a half hadn't happened. She was his best friend, the one person who truly understood him. It felt like she was meant to be there, like she fit perfectly in his arms. For one wild, reckless moment, Erick completely forgot he had a girlfriend and was overwhelmed with the desire to kiss her. But common sense kicked in a split second later and the gnawing pain ate away at his insides yet again. His heart ached for her, for everything she offered. Her friendship, her stories, her laughter... but he was dangerous. He had loved Olaf and Aud with the same carelessness and he had watched them both die. He __couldn't__ let that happen to Adrianna. What if it was her pyre next? In an instant, he could see it as clear as day. A boat decked in her favorite flowers and stories slowly sailing out, her father shooting the flaming arrow into it, tears running down his face. Erick tensed. Her life was so much more important than his happiness. He suddenly grasped her shoulders and thrust her away.

"I'm sorry." he muttered, his eyes still leaking with tears. "But I can't do this. I don't blame you for what happened but I... I just can't."

"Erick-"

"You're better off without me." Erick took several steps backward.

"That's not true." Adrianna hiccuped silently and wiped her tears away with her wrist. "I was horrible to you and I'm __so__ sorry. But I really missed you."

Erick shook his head. "No, please stop. Just leave me alone."

He didn't wait to see her reaction. He didn't need to. As he turned and took off in a run toward his house, he distinctly heard a familiar hiccuping sob. But he couldn't go back. He couldn't look back. He couldn't let her die too. And, most importantly, he could never let himself love anyone __ever__ again.


	8. Bleed

It happened again.

Hiccup lay in bed, his eyes shut and his body heavy against the mattress. He could hear Astrid's breathing beside him and could tell that the sun wasn't even out yet. His heart was beating loudly in his ears and he could feel the sweat on his body.

Gods, over ten years and he still couldn't escape. If it wasn't watching Dagur's body crash into the rocks below or horrible scenarios involving the twins' sudden deaths or abandonment, it was this. The same nightmare he had hidden for years.

But was it really a nightmare if it involved dark pieces of his life? Or was it living through one of his worst memories over and over again? Either way, it seemed to be a pattern for his family. The sort of thing he'd find almost humorous if he had no compassion whatsoever.

Then again, how could any person with a heart _not_ have nightmares after that?

As he rolled over and tried to eradicate the image from his mind (not an easy task when he'd been thinking about it off and on for weeks), he jumped at a loud noise emanating from the front door.

BWAM BWAM BWAM!

Hiccup slowly rolled himself out of bed, rubbing his eyes and yawning widely. There were some days when he wished his father were still chief so that he could go an entire week without having to get up early or rush through breakfast.

BWAM BWAM!

"I'm coming!" Hiccup called in a strangled sort of voice. He put a slipper on his remaining foot and descended the staircase. "Now what-"

He had opened the door to come face to face with Gobber. For a man in his sixties with only one hand, he could make quite a racket.

"What's up?" he asked, rubbing his eyes again to try to wake himself up some more.

"The forge has been ransacked!" Gobber bellowed with no consideration for the sleeping Haddocks upstairs. "Never seen it this bad before and that's including when dragons were raiding the village a few times a month."

"Another one?" Hiccup sighed. "Okay, give me a minute to change."

He turned and pounded up the stairs, his prosthetic making a loud clunking sound every other step. Finn and Adrianna, both looking half asleep, poked their heads out from behind their bedroom doors.

"What's going on?" asked Finn through a yawn.

"Forge was ransacked." Hiccup replied. "Go back to bed, I've got this."

"No, that's my job." Finn exclaimed as Adrianna shut her bedroom door, apparently satisfied with the explanation and in no mood to awake this early. "Give me a second."

"Finn, it's probably three in the morning. I don't even know why Gobber's awake." Hiccup said exasperatedly. "I will fill you in on what happened, I promise, but you need sleep."

Finn made a grumbling noise but, for once, complied without complaint. He must have been _really_ tired, Hiccup reasoned.

Once his clothes were on, Hiccup descended the stairs and made his way to the forge, Gobber hobbling beside him.

"I was just up to go to the outhouse and when I walked through the shop, I nearly fell over and broke my neck!" Gobber exclaimed. "Place is completely trashed! And that's dangerous, what with all the weapons out and about! I could'a been killed!"

"Well it's not dragons and it's not weather." Hiccup commented, looking up at the clear sky. "Which means it's people. _My_ people." he added through gritted teeth.

"No idea who's doing it?" Gobber asked. "Think it's kids?"

"I don't want to believe it but yeah, that's probably the most logical explanation." Hiccup sighed again as the forge came into view. "They've been laying low. I'm not sure whether or not I should be glad they were sensible enough not to strike right after the raid."

"I'm not sure sensible is the right word to use for a group of troublemakers." Gobber said darkly. "They make the Thorston twins look tame. How's anyone supposed to make a living?"

"We'll figure out who's doing it." Hiccup assured him. "Meanwhile, let's see if we can find any clues."

He pushed open the door of the forge and stared around. Everything was turned upside down. All of the drawers were on the floor, their contents scattered about. Weapons were all over the walls and the ground. There was almost no walking room at all and Hiccup was beginning to think it was a miracle Gobber had gotten through this mess without killing himself.

"Finn won't be happy." Gobber said as he kicked a small pile of what looked like some of Hiccup's old catapult designs. "Instead of getting anything done, he's got clean up duty."

"No kidding." Hiccup waded through the mess, keeping his eyes fixed on his remaining foot. "They were thorough. It doesn't look like they left anything behind. At least not that we can find in this wreck."

As he and Gobber cleared a path to prevent future injuries, Hiccup's mind began to work overtime to try to figure out who could be behind the destruction. More importantly, _why_ was this even happening? Was it an act of rebellion against his policies? Did they have anything against Hoark's, Mulch and Bucket's, or the forge? A thought was beginning to creep into Hiccup's mind, one he direly wanted to push down. But was it too easy to assume such things?

These questions echoed through Hiccup's mind until dawn. By the time he got home, he had a pounding headache. The rare days in which he really hated his job were getting far too frequent for comfort.

* * *

Erick was running as fast as he could toward the leather shop, throwing his satchel on his shoulder. He'd overslept _again_ and if he wasn't careful, he'd lose his job. As he pelted toward the front door, a dark figure stepped in front of him, causing him to nearly knock it over.

"Woah, slow down!" Magnus exclaimed, an amused smile on her lips. "You'll wear yourself out."

" _You're_ not late to work." Erick panted, wiping sweat off his brow.

"As if being a mother isn't a full time job." Magnus rolled her eyes and cuffed her little brother on the head, making him smile. "Listen, I need a favor."

"Depends on what it is. I'm not taking out your trash again." Erick said, crossing his arms and looking rather defiant for a kid two inches shorter than his sister.

"Would I do that to you?" Magnus cocked her head to the side and flashed him a deceptively innocent smile.

"Yes." said Erick flatly.

"Now now, no need to be suspicious." Magnus laughed. "I just need you to pick up Garrett and Lalla from Ella's at three."

"Oh? I thought Ella watches them all day." Erick hitched his satchel up his shoulder and gazed anxiously at the leather shop door.

"She's got other appointments today." Magnus explained. "I told her she could get off at three but to do that, I _need_ to you come and get them then."

"Okay. I can do that." Erick grinned widely; he _adored_ his niece and nephew.

"You are a lifesaver." Magnus swooped down and kissed his forehead. "But it's _very important_ that you come at three. What time did I tell you to come?"

"Mags-"

" _What time_?"

Erick mock sighed. "Three."

"Good boy." Magnus giggled at the look of irritation on her brother's face.

"Motherhood is getting to you." Erick deadpanned.

"Best job in the world. Just you wait until you have kids of your own." Magnus waved cheerfully as she walked away. "See you this evening!"

"Okay see you!" Erick waved back and bolted to the front door, throwing it open. "Horst, I'm so sorry, I-"

The youngest Larson stopped and stared. There, standing in front of Horst, was a curly haired boy not much younger than himself. The boy was familiar, Erick knew him by sight, but it was the leather belt he was wearing that made Erick pause. The same leather belt he and Horst wore.

"It's all right, Erick." Horst said cheerfully. "You're only two minutes late."

"Yeah, we'd have had to punish you severely if it was five minutes but you're safe." the boy added with a cheesy grin. "Darn, I was so looking forward to giving you forty lashes with a wet noodle."

"Erm..." Erick stared at the boy with wide eyes.

"Translation? Sorry but I don't speak Erm." the boy chirped.

Erick worked his jaw. "Is this a joke?"

"Nah, _this_ is a joke: a Gronckle, Trader Johann, and Hiccup Horrendous Haddock II walk into a bar-"

"Who are you?" Erick interrupted.

"Me?" the boy deflated slightly at the abrupt end to what was clearly going to be a very long story. "Cliff Smedley, leather shop extraordinaire." he held out his hand.

"Excuse me?" Erick narrowed his eyes at Horst.

"Well, I will be. Gotta learn from the best of the best. Teach me your ways, oh wise elder." Cliff mock bowed to Erick.

"Uhh... what?"

"Oh, should I call you Commander? I'll be the second in command-"

"Horst, what's going on?" Erick blurted out, restraining himself from punching the other teen in the face.

"Ahh..." Horst nervously laid a hand on Cliff's shoulder. "Cliff, familiarize yourself with the tools and things. We'll be right back."

"Okay. break a leg!"

"Only if it's yours." Erick mumbled as he and Horst walked into the other room. "Okay who is that joker and are you _serious_ about hiring him?"

"Cliff's a bright kid. I think you two will get along fine once you're used to each other." Horst patted Erick on the back in a fatherly manner. "He's not replacing you, if that's what you're worried about."

"How convenient." Erick grumbled. "I'm more worried about having my ear chewed off."

"Listen," Horst bent down a bit to be on Erick's level, "a lot of orders have been flooding in. We're swamped. We need more help."

"So your solution is to find the most _annoying_ guy on Berk and lock him up with us for eight hours a day?" Erick huffed.

"I think you could use a little lighthearted banter."

"Horst, I'm fine-"

"Now don't argue, you know that's not entirely true." Horst raised an eyebrow. "You and I both know you need a little humor."

"Humor?" Erick scoffed. "Oh I'm sorry if I'm not exactly the bright and morning star of the leather shop anymore Horst, but you seem to have taken care of that lickety-split!"

Horst sighed. "Erick, we need the help and he needed a job. That's the real purpose. Please just _try_ to humor him. He's a talker but I know you can be too."

"Yeah." Erick scowled. "When I have something to talk about."

"It's been quiet here." Horst put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Depressing. I understand you're going through a lot. I think Cliff can help. And if he _is_ too annoying, I'll find someone else to take him. Just deal with him for a few weeks, okay?"

"Oh... fine." Erick hissed through his teeth.

"There you go." Horst led him back to the main room, smiling fondly. "I think you'll warm up to him."

"I think I'll break his nose."

Horst laughed and pushed open the door to the room, where Cliff was staring intently at one of Erick's tools. He grinned widely at the pair when they entered.

"There you are! I was afraid you slipped out the back way and left me alone with all your work. Not cool, bruh."

"I'm not your... _bruh_." Erick snapped.

"Nope, you're not. At least not yet." Cliff threw an arm around Erick and gestured grandly. "But you _will_ be. I promise you that."

Erick thought darkly that he would sooner chop off his own foot than have any sort of familial relationship with such an annoying person.

* * *

Adrianna didn't get out of bed the moment she awoke. She lay back, tapping her fingers against her stomach and staring into the ceiling. The usual pictures began to form in the wood: the mint leaves in the left corner, the Gronckle with the long puffy skirt in the middle, and the star directly over her bed. She and Hiccup used to spend hours staring at them and other pictures they found all over the house. They would create little stories about them, stories that made them both laugh until they were red in the face. Adrianna liked those memories. She liked those carefree days before everything had gone horribly wrong.

Perhaps the most difficult thing about having such a horrible thing happen to her at such a young age was that she could scarcely remember life before the nightmares. She remembered the pictures in the ceiling and some of the stories, of course. She remembered her brother coming home coated in berry juice one day. She remembered seeing Erick's face across the crowded Great Hall and the little smile he'd given her the second time their eyes met. Everyone talked about how she had been this sweet little angel running around and charming everyone she had met, how she had loved life and lived it to the fullest, how she had spent full days following her daddy around and watching him at the forge and with the villagers. According to the stories they told, everyone had loved her back then.

It seemed like another lifetime. Pieces of those memories flitted through Adrianna's mind as she lay there in the still silence of the Haddock house. She thought of her father and the sad eyes he gave her when he thought she wasn't watching him. He missed that cheerful little girl most of all. The one who had fallen asleep in his arms as they cuddled by the fire and who could convince anyone to have a tea party with her, even the strongest and manliest Vikings. Sometimes she thought he loved that girl more than the broken one who had replaced her. Her mother seemed to have come to terms with Adrianna's more subdued personality but her father never could. She had broken his heart and, perhaps, continued to do so every moment she wasn't the adorable child he had loved so much.

Both she and her father had a tendency to sleep late if they had the opportunity so she knew he too was probably waking up now. She had a job that evening but that was hours away. She was briefly tempted to read until then but she felt the strong desire to get up and get dressed. She threw on a blue shirt and black pants and was braiding her hair as she went downstairs.

"Morning." she said to no one in particular as she got to the bottom of the staircase.

"Says who?" her father asked with a hint of amusement in his tone. "It's just after noon."

"Oh." Adrianna shrugged. "Afternoon then."

She looked up and was a bit surprised to realize that she and her father were the only ones in the house at the moment. Feeling distinctly sheepish, she didn't want to stick around for awkward conversations with her dad but she was hungry and in no mood to join the crowd in the Great Hall.

"You okay?" he asked after she had stared at him with wide eyes for a few seconds.

"Hm? Oh, yeah." she fastened her braid and shook her head. "Sorry, just thinking."

"About?"

"A lot of stuff." Adrianna shrugged. "Girl stuff."

"Oh really?" Hiccup raised an eyebrow.

Toothless, who had been half asleep next to his human, rose to his feet and sauntered over to Adrianna, sniffing her suspiciously.

"Toothless, stop that. She's not a fish that you can just size up before eating." Hiccup told his dragon, earning himself a smack in the leg.

"Well technically, I am a Haddock." Adrianna pointed out with a sly smile.

"Hehehe." Hiccup fake laughed. "You're hilarious. You should go on the road with that act."

"Maybe I will. Oy!" Adrianna pushed Toothless's head away. "Come on, Toothless, you know that area's off limits."

"Stop getting in her personal space, Bud." Hiccup rose to his feet and patted his dragon's head.

Toothless snorted at the two of them and moved his nose to Adrianna's right pocket. She reached in and took out a piece of very stale bread.

"Forgot this was in there." she said with slight amusement. "Guess it's time to do laundry."

"You think?" Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Do you really want that, Toothless?"

Adrianna tossed it in the air and Toothless enthusiastically caught it. He looked rather pleased with himself when he settled back down next to Hiccup. The Haddock girl opened the cupboard and got herself a fresh loaf for breakfast.

"So what's on your mind?" Hiccup asked as she sat down on his right side.

What _was_ on her mind? A lot of things, if she had to be honest. But something was nagging her. Something she knew to be important.

"Well..." she paused. Was she really going to say this? "Saturday's almost here."

"Uh huh..." Hiccup stretched out the sound, indicating that he wanted a bit of elaboration.

"Well it's the third." she said timidly. "So the one after that is the fourth."

Hiccup's head perked up a bit. "And?"

"We used to do stuff on the fourth Saturday." Adrianna shrugged. "I mean, we don't have to on this one but-"

"Are you asking what I think you're asking?" Hiccup raised his eyebrows.

"I think." Adrianna cleared her throat. "Do you want to do something? I mean it's okay if you don't."

"Adrianna, I would love to." Hiccup grinned widely. "What brought this on?"

"Thinking, I guess." the girl smiled timidly at her father before hopping from her spot at the table. "I should get to the library though." she mock saluted him with what was left of her bread and walked to the door.

"Hey, Adrianna?" Hiccup called. She turned around. "Love you."

"Yeah." Adrianna replied with the same timid smile as before. "You too."

And with that, she nearly threw herself from the house and into the summer sun.

* * *

It was as if Cliff was making up for years of being mute. From the moment he and Erick began working together, the boy chattered about everything under the sun. Erick was beginning to feel like jumping out the window by the time the afternoon rolled around. Just as he was about to shout that he wanted just one _second_ of peace and quiet, the boy suddenly stopped talking. Erick breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ahem." came a familiar voice in the doorway.

Erick jumped, startled more by the voice than the sudden noise. He spun around on his chair and found himself staring into a pair of cold blue eyes.

"Oh..."

Taryn frowned and her eyes flashed again. "Oh? That's all you have to say to me after _three_ weeks?"

Erick flinched. _It's been that long?_ "I-I'm sor-"

"Outside. Now." Taryn bit out before stomping out the door.

Erick set down his tool with a weary sigh and followed. He pretended not to notice Cliff's concerned, fearful glance.

Taryn stopped outside at the edge of the shop. "So where have you been?"

"U-um..." Erick stutters. "Here? And home?"

"And you couldn't spare at least five minutes during the day at least once to come check on your girlfriend? You couldn't even ask me how my knee was doing?"

Erick mentally slapped himself. He'd forgotten than she'd been hurt it in the explosion; how could he be so dense? "I'm sorry-"

" _Sorry_? I don't think you are Erick-"

"I am! I'm a terrible person!"

"No! You're a terrible boyfriend!" Taryn sighed, rubbing her face. Her anger dissipated and he nearly flinched at the sight of her eyes filling with tears. "I-I... Erick... Sometimes bad things happen and they aren't easy for anyone." She stared at him with watery, angry eyes. "But it's always a bit easier when those closest to you are there to help you get through it!"

Erick nodded numbly. "I-"

"If it was just Aud, I would've been there for you. I'd like to hope that if it was just Curt then you would've been there for me. It's worse that we _both_ lost siblings that night, but the fact that you haven't even shown up to ask how I'm doing in _three_ weeks? I mean the first week I obviously needed time myself and figured you did too. The second week I assumed and hoped by the end you would. It's now the end of the third week and I prayed that _surely_ you'd think of me at least _once_ and stop by! Or heck, at least send me a note!" Taryn shook her head, tears flowing down her face now. "And you _didn't._ I had to come find _you_."

Erick hated seeing her like this, but he finally felt a bud of courage to stand up for himself. "Sooo what? You expected me to come to you all this time? You never found me! You act like I screwed up and didn't show any initiative and it doesn't look like you did until now either!"

"I was doing what my parents thought was best, Erick. Unlike you, my parents-" Taryn cut herself off before she could continue.

Erick's heart lurched. "What?"

"N-nothing."

"No, what? My parents are what?" Erick hissed. "Dead and what? Not perfect and selfless and kind and gentle, like _yours_?"

"Erick-"

"If you've got something to say to me Taryn, _say it_!" Taryn sighed quietly and stared at the ground whilst rubbing her forehead. Erick also looked away, trying to reign in his anger.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Erick. But I don't think this is going to work out."

Erick stared at her in shock, anger instantly gone. He felt like he couldn't breathe. "What? What do you mean?"

"Erick..." Taryn wet her lips and straightened her back, as if it would get the words out quicker. "How... How could we make a marriage work in hard times, hard times that will come, when we can't work together now?"

Erick felt like the air was being sucked out of his lungs. "Wait, y-you can't- you're breaking up with me?"

"I'm not trying to hurt you and I don't want to make things worse!" Taryn cried. "B-but I can't wait for you. I can't hold onto your anchor or else I'll drown. I... I have to find my own way to move on."

Tears stung Erick's eyes. "And what about me? Are you going to leave me to drown? Every man for himself?"

Taryn shook her head. "I-I want you to come to us if you need us. I don't want to be enemies. I still want to be your friend, as horrid as that sounds by comparison. But... I can't be your girlfriend anymore."

Erick swallowed hard and forced himself not to shake. _I did this. Literally everything good is gone._ He exhaled heavily and backed against the wall.

Taryn stepped forward. "Erick-"

"Just go. Please." Erick covered his face with a hand, effectively blocking her from view. "Go."

Two full breaths later, he heard her retreating footsteps and sniffles as she left. Erick felt his heart rate rise as the emotion bubbled inside his chest. He slid to the ground and gripped his hair, willing himself to relax. Tears still streamed down his face but he didn't have the urge to panic.

It was strange how inflicting a little pain could help someone focus.

Still, Taryn's words stung. He knew her family was more traditional—the man should take initiative and if he didn't, well, he wasn't effectively performing his duties as a leader. He honestly couldn't blame her for dumping him. How awful and heartless and utterly _selfish_ could he be?

Aud wasn't the only one who'd died. Curt died also. His boat had bobbed in the waves beside hers, his pyre burned beside hers. Taryn's family stood beside his at the funeral. Yet the last three weeks all he seemed to do was wallow in his own grief and self-pity without thinking twice that his _girlfriend_ might be going through the same exact thing.

And even worse was the fact that she admitted to waiting for him every day, and he never showed up. Even worse was the fact that she was an already timid, quiet girl who didn't like the spotlight and was fragile with things that bothered her. She liked having a hand to hold and a shoulder to cry on. He _knew_ these things about her! Apparently he was too self-absorbed to care.

Erick buried his face in his knees until the sun seemed to blister the back of his neck. He didn't know how long he'd sat outside, but figured he should probably go back to work and try to get something accomplished.

He stood on wobbly feet and trudged over to a nearby water barrel. He splashed his face with the cold water, willing himself to calm down.

Pushing the leather shop door open, he dragged his feet past Horst and ignored Cliff when he walked into their workroom. The curly-haired teen gave him a concerned glance but said nothing (thankfully). If he had to put up with this chatter box right now, he _would_ go insane.

The blond teen sat down on his stool and stared at the piles of leather on his desk. Papers, leather, needles and various tools were strewn across the table in front of him. He stared at them blankly, wondering just how much stress he could take before he snapped. He was literally like a worn piece of leather—it had some good use in the past for important things, but one day it was just going to snap.

"Hey," Cliff poked his shoulder. "You okay?"

Erick blinked hard, realizing with a frown that he'd been sitting for a while and hadn't done anything yet. He rubbed his eyes and gave the newbie a halfhearted shrug.

"Okay, well… Horst and I are ready to leave so-"

"Leave?" Erick asked in surprise.

"Yeah. You've been sitting there for over an hour."

Erick blinked. _What?_ "Huh? I just-"

"Go home, Erick." Horst walked in with a concerned expression. "It's fine, we'll just make up for it tomorrow. Go home and get some rest, boys."

Ugh, home. Erick would rather spend the night here than go home. Maybe he could ask Gustav if he could crash in their barn loft, or Magnus-

Erick's heart lurched.

"Oh SHOOT!" Erick sprang from his chair and grabbed his satchel.

"What?" Cliff jerked backwards.

"I was supposed to pick up my niece and nephew at three!" Erick ran past them and tore into the late afternoon sun. He nearly plowed over an elderly couple taking a peaceful walk through the square. He dodged them and kept running.

Late afternoon… It had to be half past five! Ohhhh Magnus was going to _kill_ him…

The doors to the babysitter's home were locked and the windows were dark. Erick sighed in agitation, knowing that meant the kids were probably already home with a very, _very_ unhappy Mama Magnus.

His blond hair stuck to his forehead in sweaty clumps by the time he got to his sister and brother-in-law's house. He knocked on the door a few times as he panted, trying to catch his breath. The door opened to reveal Magnus, who had a scowl so deep only Thor himself could replicate it.

"Mags…" Erick puffed. "I am so, _so_ sorry."

Magnus pursed her lips and stepped outside, closing the door firmly behind her. Erick visibly gulped and prepared for the worst (yet most deserved) lecture known to mankind.

"Where were you?"

"Work…"

"And did I not ask you specifically if you were able to pick them up?"

"Yes."

"And did you not very specifically say that it would be no problem?"

"Yes."

"Did I not express how _very important_ it was that the kids get picked up so their babysitter could make it to her other appointments on time?"

"Yes…"

"Then WHY weren't you there?" Magnus cried out. "Because you were a no-show, Ella was over an hour late to her next babysitting appointment, which threw off _those_ parents, and _we_ had to leave our engagements an hour early to pick them up ourselves! What was so important at the leather shop that you didn't show up?"

Erick swallowed thickly. How was he going to explain that the last two hours of work he spent moping outside the shop and at his desk? "I…" Erick faltered. He couldn't just say he forgot. He'd remembered it until… until Taryn dumped him.

Magnus watched his face fall into that dark, morose expression. She frowned, calming her tone a bit. "What happened?"

Erick rubbed his hands across his face. "Um… T-Taryn…" He exhaled shakily. "Taryn broke up with me."

Sympathy crossed Magnus's face. She wrapped him into a hug and held him for a minute. "I'm sorry. Breakups aren't easy."

Erick tried to reign in his emotions, but was probably failing. "I-I can't do anything right anymore, Mags. I-I don't know what to do. I'm sorry."

Magnus's heart broke, but as much as she wanted to just hold him and tell him things were going to be okay, she knew she had to be the older sibling. She had to be firm and strong or else he'd never get back on his feet.

"Erick, look at me." It took a minute but he finally made eye contact. "Taryn did the right thing. You know that, don't you?"

Erick nodded. "I-I'm not good enough for her-"

"Honey, it's not like that, you're a great young man and she's a bright young woman," Magnus said as she held his face in her hands. "But… when tragedy hits like this, even the strongest married couples have to fight hard for things to be okay again. For a young couple who is still learned to trust each other, that's a lot of pressure. You guys got hit on both sides."

Erick sniffed. "I'm sorry I didn't show up today. I'll make it up to you next time, I promise."

Magnus bit her lip and exhaled. "Erick…"

"What?"

"I… I don't think…" Magnus sighed. "Greg and I talked… and we think it would be best if you… if you took a break from the kids."

Erick felt bile rise in the back of his throat. He blinked at her, unsure if he'd heard her correctly.

"Not permanently and not for a specific amount of time, but…" Magnus tried to explain. "Erick, we want to trust you with our children, but if we can't trust you to pick them up on time like today then what's to say something else won't happen? Something much worse?"

Tears burned in Erick's eyes. First Aud and Curt, then Taryn. Now his sister wouldn't allow him to see his niece and nephew? Literally the only pure light left in his crushingly lonely life was being taken away?

"Mags, what do you want me to do? I-I'll do whatever you want me to to make it up-"

"Erick. Erick, breathe. Breathe!" Magnus ordered.

Erick grabbed at his hair, trying to kill the rising panic. He whimpered pitifully when she tightened her grip on his forearms.

" _This_ is why, Erick." Magnus said in a firm, gentle voice. "You're not stable-"

"Now you're calling me _crazy_?" Erick cried out, tears dripping down his face. "Just because I-I screwed up with your kids one time, purely accidental, suddenly I have _mental problems_?"

"Erick, I said you're not stable. Listen to yourself, honey, you can't even think straight." Magnus's eyes filled with tears at seeing her baby brother break down so easily. "Hey, come here."

Erick buried his face in her shoulder and cried. "Don't send me away, please. I can't do this, I can't do this alone."

"I know, Erick. You need help, someone to help you. But… but I can't risk my own children's safety. I know you'd _never_ hurt Lalla or Garrett, _never_. But while you're struggling like this, Greg and I think it's better if we all take a few steps back. I know you'd never forgive yourself if you accidentally hurt them. This isn't just for their protection—it's also for yours, because we love you." Magnus kissed his cheek and hugged him tighter. "We love you, Erick. I still want to see you whenever we can. Just… not babysitting."

Erick felt dull and pointless. Literally every planted seed of goodness was officially replaced by the choking weeds of despair. Nothing else existed except the pain and anguish he felt inside. One more hit and he knew he was going to shatter.

Magnus pulled back and kissed his forehead. "I want you to go home, okay? Try not to fight with anyone, just… just try to stay positive. I _know_ it's hard right now, but it _will_ get better one day. I _promise_."

Erick stared at her blankly. "People have been saying that since dad died. It's only gotten worse, Magnus." With that, he turned and walked between the houses. Magnus watched him until he disappeared, wishing more than anything that she could take some of his pain.

Erick arrived at home just as the sun was setting for the night. Before walking through the front door, he wiped his face to clear it of any residual tears. The first thing he saw was his mother making dinner (only three portions, he noticed).

"You're late." Lara said coldly. "I told you to be back before sundown.

"The sun _just_ set." Erick snipped before he could stop himself.

"Don't talk back to me, young man." Lara shook her head. "The sooner as you learn to take responsibility for your actions, the sooner I can start giving you more freedoms."

"Okay fine! I was late." Erick stomped toward the stairs in an attempt to get away before he could talk to anyone else. Lara beat him to the staircase, her arms crossed and her mouth in the thin lipped glare that sent a flicker of fear through his body. "What? What do you want now?"

"I am your mother." Lara huffed. "A little respect is in order."

"Since when?" Anger replaced the fear and in an instant, Erick was incensed. "What have you done to earn it? You're always treating me like a burden-"

"You... you _dare_..." Lara took a step toward him that sent the waves of fear back through him. "I gave birth to you on _Snoggletog_! I have sacrificed my time and energy to raise you, to provide for you, to cook for and clean up after you."

"Because you _had_ to." Erick grumbled.

"Because I _love_ you and want what's best for you!" Lara hissed through gritted teeth. "And you were _not_ an easy child to love."

"Dad had no problem with that." Erick coldly replied, physically forcing himself not to shake with fear at his mother's glare.

"Oh I forgot, your father was _perfect_." Lara threw her hands up in exasperation. "I'll _never_ compare to his incredible parenting skills, I am _always_ the bad guy."

"He wasn't perfect but at least he cared." Erick took a step back despite himself. "You never did."

"Oh Erick..." Lara ran the palm of her hand down her face, looking suddenly miserable. "This is why we can't have a decent conversation. You're always pointing out what I did wrong."

"You did plenty-"

"And there you go, not taking responsibility for your actions." Lara sighed deeply. "I have tried but you insist on pushing back. We can't have a decent relationship when you blame all of your problems on me."

"Since when do you _want_ one?" Erick asked in a low tone.

"You're my son. Of _course_ I want one." Lara replied. "You don't have to sabotage your own happiness, Erick. It saddens me to see you do this to yourself."

"Why are you saying all this?" Erick shook his head, utterly confused at his mother's words. "I'm your _mistake_!"

"I never said you were my mistake!" Lara said emphatically. "Why would I?"

"Yes, you... you're always implying it!" Erick ran his fingers through his hair.

"And you always read too much into things." Lara shook her head again and walked toward the pot over the flames. "But I never said that and I would never imply such a thing."

Erick stood stock still, his mouth agape. He had no idea what was happening. Had he really been reading too much into his mother's words? Was _he_ to blame for all of their issues? His mother _had_ sacrificed a lot for him, this much was true. But was he blaming her for his own problems?

"I..." Erick's mind was spinning so much, he could barely get any words out.

"It's okay, Erick." Lara smiled at him. "I can forgive you if you show me that you _can_ take responsibility for your actions and your problems instead of blaming them on others."

"So Aud was my fault too?" Erick mumbled.

Lara stared at him for a few seconds. "I understand that you tried to save her. But you didn't. It is what it is."

"So it is my fault." Erick said softly.

"You could have stopped her." Lara added something to the stew she was making as she spoke in a scarily calm voice. "But you're sorry. Aren't you?"

"Well... yeah."

"Then we don't have to talk about it." Lara smiled at him almost cheerfully.

"But... what if I _want_ to talk about her?" the urge to cry began to rise through the youngest Larson before he could stop it. "What if it still hurts?"

"She's dead." Lara's smile faded. "But you aren't. The time for grieving has passed."

"But I'm not... I'm not _done_." Erick lip quivered but he fought to regain composure. "It hurts!"

"What's done is done." Lara snapped. "And I won't have you moping around and bringing us all down with you. We're done. Lighten up."

"But I'm _not_ -"

"Erick!" Nikolas pounded down the stairs and immediately made a beeline for his mother, placing a comforting arm around her shoulders. "You're upsetting her. She lost her daughter! You don't have to keep bringing it up."

"She was _your_ sister!" Erick shouted, tears finally pouring freely from his eyes.

"Stop crying!" Nikolas bellowed back. "How can you expect to become a man when you keep _crying_ at the drop of a hat?"

"What's going on?" Mel came down the stairs and gaped at the three of them.

"He's upsetting her!" Nikolas told his wife.

"They're acting like Aud meant nothing to them!" Erick angrily wiped his face.

"Of course she did!" Lara said shakily. "That's why it hurts when you bring her up."

"And it hurts _me_ that you're acting like my grief doesn't mean anything to you!" Erick felt a sob break through his throat on its own accord. "I miss her and all you do is-"

"Stop it!" Mel shrieked. "Stop fighting!"

"Go to your room." Lara growled at her son. "And you can forget about going to work tomorrow."

"Mom-"

"I said go!" Lara suddenly screamed.

Mel burst into tears. " _Please_ don't fight." she wept.

"And now you're upsetting your sister-in-law." Lara pointed up the stairs. "You've done enough. Go to your room _now_!"

Erick pounded up the stairs to his bedroom and slammed the door behind him. He heard his mother shout something but he didn't care what it was. He didn't care about _anything_ anymore. Grabbing his hair with his hands, he breathed heavily through his teeth but the tears refused to subside.

"Come on..." he muttered to himself, his jaw still clenched. "No... no! Stop it, stop it _now_!"

The tears continued force their way up, he could feel his breathing become shakier as his body succumbed to the waves of emotion overwhelming him. He looked up at his face in the mirror... and suddenly he stopped.

He'd never noticed just how much he looked like his late sister until now. She had the same wavy blond hair, the same nose, the same eye shape (though her eyes had been blue). As he focused on those similarities, he felt like he was staring into a window to the past. A window to better times... before everything had gone to hell. Another sob overwhelmed him again but this time, it came with an eruption of rage he didn't know his body could possess. Before he was aware of his own actions, his left fist slammed into the mirror. A loud shattering sound filled the silent room and the youngest Larson felt an explosion of sharp pains in his fingers and knuckles.

He swore under his breath when he realized just how much racket that had made but if his mother, brother, or sister-in-law heard it, they didn't say a thing. His eyes fell on his hand and widened when they took in the sheer amount of blood dripping from it. Instantly, he hurried over to his bedside table and opened the drawer containing a few spare bandages. He grasped them in his right hand and took them over to the shards of broken glass on the floor. Dozens of teal eyed reflections stared up at him.

It was when he was on his knees, his injured and open hand suspended just over a large shard of the mirror that the realization hit him. He had stopped crying. Even more surprising was that he didn't want to cry anymore. He watched the blood drip steadily from his fingers in fascination. Filthy blood he shared with the very people who hated him most. Drops were raining down on the shard, making a steady, almost soothing dripping sound as they landed.

Suddenly, it dawned on him. _Something_ had to come out. He had been foolish to assume that crying would be the only release from the agony in his soul. He stared down at the blood splattered shard and, for a split second, saw Aud's face staring back at him. Mocking him for not rescuing her when he was mere inches away. He deserved to be punished for his failure.

Erick grasped the shard in his left hand and suspended it over his right wrist. This was for Aud.

 _Slit_.

Blood immediately dribbled from the cut he had made. He watched its progress down his arm with fascination. He held up the shard again. This was for being a filthy, unlovable person who didn't deserve any of the blessings he had received over the years.

 _Slit_.

This cut was deeper. Blood from his second cut mingled with the blood streaming from his first and soon both ran in red rivers down his arm. He hardly felt the pain anymore. What mattered was getting out that horrible, disgusting blood running through his veins.

Erick was consumed with a desire to rake his arm with the shard, to spill out the contents of his veins until there was nothing left. He needed to cut out the Larson blood he shared with the dead he had loved and the living he did not. He knew what he needed to do now.

He needed to be punished.

He needed to cut.

He needed to _bleed_.

 _Slit_.


	9. Joining Ranks

"And that's why I don't eat meat unless I sniff it first!"

Cliff finished his sentence with a proud grin and turned expectantly to his coworker. Erick was just putting his face in his hands and begging the gods for a quick death. The boy never shut up and _never_ left him alone.

"Helloooooo, Berk to Erick!" Erick looked up and jumped when he took in the sight of Cliff's face less than an inch from his own. "You okay, man?"

"Look," Erick sighed, "can we just work in _silence_?"

"What's the fun in that?" Cliff scoffed at his idea. "I mean if you _really_ need silence, we can stop talking but then it'll get boring and monotonous and the whole day will drag and then in fifty years when we're telling our grandchildren about our youth, we'll talk about the long stretches of silence and how we wish we could go back and fill them with the sounds of birds singing and the laughter of children and all the amusing anecdotes that never got told-"

"Cliff, I swear to Thor if you do not shut up _right now_ -"

"Okay, okay!" Cliff held up his hands in a surrendering position.

Blissful silence permeated the room and Erick breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a week and a half since Cliff had started working at the shop. His work was quite good and he enjoyed beading, which meant that Erick could now avoid that aspect of the job entirely. But the Smedley boy had an exceptionally annoying habit of chatting constantly. Even break times weren't very restful because Cliff had apparently decided that, as peers, they needed to spend every moment together. Horst was no help at all; he seemed to enjoy the boy's enthusiasm and humor.

"Well boys, that's about it for the day." Horst announced, walking into their workshop with a smile. "I'll see you on Monday."

"Great." Erick grabbed his satchel and was about to hightail it out of there when Horst stepped in front of him.

"You go on ahead, Cliff." Horst told the other apprentice. "I want to talk to Erick for a minute."

"Sure thing. See you Monday!" Cliff chirped before rushing out of the door, presumably to the Great Hall for some dinner.

"How are you doing?" Horst asked once Cliff was out of earshot.

"No different than yesterday." Erick sighed deeply. "Look, she hasn't forced me to stop coming in again, okay? Your orders will come out on time, as promised."

"My orders aren't why I ask." Horst sat down on Cliff's vacated chair. "And they're not why your mother and I argued."

"I know." Erick reluctantly sat back down in his own chair. "Well don't worry about it. Mom knows better than to forbid me from working again. You certainly set her straight."

This was true; the day after Cliff had started, Horst had stormed up to the Larson home and bellowed at Lara until she finally agreed to let Erick come into work. Erick had been half asleep at the time but he had heard Horst shout something about him needing to be out of the house and asking his mother how he was supposed to heal when he was locked up at home. Lara had some choice words in response to that but it was the threat of barging into her home and dragging Erick out despite her protests that won out. The youngest Larson truly was grateful for his mentor's actions that day but with Cliff chatting his ear off day in and day out, there wasn't much relaxation in his life.

Horst was quiet for a few seconds after Erick's previous statement. His eyes flitted to the bandages on the boy's wrists. Erick had claimed he'd burned his wrists in a cooking accident but the older man suspected he was lying, particularly since he hadn't met the man's eyes as he'd said it. There was something suspicious about the whole thing but if Erick was unwilling to discuss it, there wasn't much Horst could do about it.

"Well listen, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." Horst said with a small smile. "My door's always open."

"Thank you." said Erick, sounding legitimately thankful.

"Well if there's nothing else you need, you can go." Horst stood up and stretched. "My wife already complains about the amount of overtime I spend here so I shouldn't keep her waiting. Come by if you need something."

"Thanks but I doubt it." Erick nodded once before grabbing his satchel and jogging out into the cooling evening air outside.

Charger made a sound of delight and headbutted him the moment he had gotten five steps away from the shop. Erick massaged his ribs, scowling at his dragon.

"What, did I forget to feed you?" he griped, feeling distinctly grouchy.

Charger made an odd grumbling sound in his throat. The Nadder had been feeling neglected and it was about time his human knew and reacted accordingly. He leaped forward and pinned the boy to the ground, licking his face with enthusiasm.

"Charger, _stop_!" Erick bellowed in irritation. "What is wrong with you, you crazy dragon?"

Charger growled at him but continued to pant in Erick's face. His breath, like all dragons' breath, smelled like raw fish and it was beginning to make Erick physically ill. He wasn't altogether sure why his dragon was annoying him this much- he'd _picked_ the crazy charging dragon in the first place. He knew Charger would be difficult to train and that he'd have more energy than he could contain. So why was he starting to dislike his own dragon?

"Get off!" Erick bellowed at Charger, forcing himself up as best he could.

Charger slid off his human, his large yellow eyes wide with disappointment and, quite possibly, deep sadness at the dramatic shift in his human's affections. Giving Erick one more doleful gaze, he flew away, presumably to find Signa.

Erick watched his dragon disappear into the horizon and was struck with the odd desire to call him and apologize. The desire vanished almost as quickly as it came up. Charger was about as annoying as Cliff and the last thing the youngest Larson needed was the presence of more annoyance. Shrugging off his guilt, he walked back home with his hands in his pockets, hoping that his mother wouldn't be there.

* * *

Adrianna traipsed down the stairs comparatively early the next morning, tying her long hair behind her head as she went. Hiccup was already seated at the table, watching her as if he'd been waiting for her to show up for a while. The girl smiled weakly at him as she sat down in front of a generous serving of eggs.

"Morning." she said automatically.

"Yes it is." Hiccup put down his fork and leaned in. "And I've got the day planned out. Well half of it, I have to do a bit of setting up."

"Oh. Right." Adrianna's smile became genuine. "Our date."

"Yep!" Hiccup chirped. "So meet me at the Academy at three. I should be done by then."

"Okay." Adrianna nodded, biting her lip. "You'll definitely come, right? I mean I know you have chief stuff going on..."

"Hey," Hiccup reached out and put his hand on top of his daughter's in what he hoped was a reassuring way, "I'll be there. Wouldn't miss it."

The Haddock girl opened her mouth to respond when a loud slamming noise emanated from the doorway.

"HICCUP!" shouted a shrill, distinctly feminine voice. "HICCUP HORRENDOUS HADDOCK THE THIRD, CHIEF OF THE HOOLIGANS AND THE BESTEST MALE CHIEF IN THE ARCHIPELAGO!"

Hiccup rolled his eyes and walked to the doorway, not bothering to rush. Camicazi nearly tumbled into him when her fist met midair.

"Good, you're here!" she shouted.

"Don't you have a tribe to run?" Hiccup narrowed his eyes at the Bug Burglar chief in distinct annoyance that clearly went over her head.

"My mom's got everything under control!" Camicazi waved her hand as if physically pushing aside his comment. "And I've solved all your problems!"

"Really?" Hiccup deadpanned, raising an eyebrow. "I appreciate it."

"Well not _all_ of them, your village is still in shambles and there's this hyper Nadder annoying everyone but aside from that, your worries have ceased! I've found the cause of your disturbances!" she proclaimed, opening her arms wide as if expecting him to hug her.

"Is that so?"

"No need to doubt me, Mister Smartypants, come see for yourself!" Camicazi grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the village.

"Academy at three, don't forget!" Hiccup managed to call to his daughter before the woman slammed the front door.

Camicazi nearly dragged Hiccup down the slope between his house and the village, her vice-like grip never easing for a moment. Hiccup nearly tripped several times on the way down but he knew that to argue would be pointless. His fellow chief had the stubbornness of Toothless on a rough day.

"Why are we headed toward your place, your _temporary_ place at that?" Hiccup asked impatiently when Camicazi finally stopped him in front of the house in which she was staying.

Camicazi threw open the door. "Ta-da!"

Hiccup peered into the main room, at a complete loss for words. A single green Terrible Terror sat in the middle, looking deceptively innocent. The act might have been effective if it weren't for the trashed room and slip of parchment dangling from his mouth.

"So... you're saying a single Terrible Terror broke into all those businesses and trashed them for no reason?" Hiccup crossed his arms.

"You catch on fast!" Camicazi punched his shoulder before skipping in through the door and picking up the creature, who cooed almost affectionately at the human's touch. "You can lock him up until he confesses but I think with a little training, he'll have learned the error of his ways. I've named him Spiker."

"He doesn't have any spikes." Hiccup raised an eyebrow.

"You know that and I know that but _he_ doesn't know that!" Camicazi hugged the Terror to her chest possessively.

"That doesn't even make sense."

"Aww, don't listen to him, Spiker!" Camicazi petted the dragon's head affectionately. "He doesn't mean it, he's just grouchy because I solved the big mystery before he did."

"You're seriously telling me that this Terror waited until all of the business owners were away from their stores, trashed the places without setting fire to anything, and covered his tracks by leaving behind no claw marks anywhere?" Hiccup asked through a drawn out sigh.

"He's _so_ smart!" Camicazi nodded vigorously. "Just like what he did here!"

"There are scorch marks everywhere and scratches on the wall. Plus it smells like he used this room as an outhouse." Hiccup shook his head. "Spiker could definitely use some training and this room could use a good cleaning but I don't think he's the mastermind behind the vandalism."

"You're no fun." Camicazi pouted.

"Right. Sure. I'm going now. Big day ahead and I've got a lot of set up to do, plus I've got to act as chief of this whole tribe. In fact, if I don't leave now, I'll be late to the Naming Ceremony I'm supposed to be performing." Hiccup rattled off. "But thanks for your contribution. It was an... interesting theory." he added at the disappointed expression on his fellow chief's face.

* * *

Nothing could be more freeing than a Saturday. Now if Saturday could actually make a person feel happy again, Erick was sure the day would be even more special. But he wouldn't complain. Though he still felt like garbage and hated himself more and more every day, he couldn't help but feel a small sense of relief in taking a peaceful, mid-afternoon walk along Berk's coast.

Waves crashed across the crags below. He blinked the salty sea spray out of his eyes and kept walking, focusing on his footsteps. Wouldn't do to slip and plummet to almost certain death. It would be quick though—maybe a better option than his current issues.

There was still a small part inside that was keeping him attached to the world. Though the number of slits on his forearms seemed to be increasing, anytime he felt the greedy desire to just end it… end his life… he wasn't sure what, if it was his father's ghostly spirit calling out to him, staying the blade from doing the worst. He wasn't sure if it was guilt or fear.

Whatever it was, no matter how miserable he felt, he couldn't do it. Just seeing the blood and feeling the physical pain seemed to dull the emotional agony. Somehow it helped him focus. Maybe because he was quite literally draining away his life source, so his body was actually going into protective mode? Maybe he was saving himself without even realizing it?

Erick puffed his shaggy bangs out of his eyes with a short eye roll. How hypocritical could a guy get?

The teenager scowled at the wrist guard on his right arm. The cuts were itching again. He flexed his fingers in annoyance, willing the uncomfortable sensation to go away. He even tried rubbing the guard against his belt in a furious up and down motion, yet the guard was, well, _guarding_ the cuts so well, nothing could make them stop itching. He'd have to take the guard off and risk bleeding. If he wasn't already bleeding.

Erick huffed in muttered frustration. "Probably ruining perfectly good leather."

There were two reasons to wear the wrist guards: one, to throw suspicion. More than a few times he noticed Horst taking a few concerned glances at his bandaged forearm, as had Cliff. His family of course didn't care or was too scattered to notice. He bumped into Hiccup a few days ago and he'd even asked what had happened. He almost felt bad lying that it was a cooking accident, but what was he going to do? Tell the truth? Yeah, right.

Second reason to wear the guards: he'd had this brilliant idea the night before to go shooting. He hadn't taken his bow out in a while, for obvious reasons, and it wouldn't be a half bad idea to get some exercise in the wilderness, away from anybody and everybody. The wrist guards would be a good disguise and he could buy some new cloths on his way home.

He was paying for that dash of brilliance with a torturous itching sensation so horrid that it made him want to scream. It was worse than the Berkian Mosquito Pox, and that was saying something.

Itchiness aside, Erick could feel the calluses forming on his fingers from shooting. He'd decided to leave home early before being nagged by Mother Goose, so he'd left at the crack of dawn. The glowing sunrise had given him enough light to see in the dreary woods. By nine in the morning, he'd shot three small pheasants and a rabbit. He'd spent the rest of the morning plucking, roasting, and eating his catch (and feeding a jumpy Charger who randomly showed up for about an hour). His dragon had eaten most of the catch since he wasn't very hungry. Charger seemed to get bored once he realized his rider was, once again, not in the mood for a ride.

Physically he felt okay. It was nice to get some fresh air and burn off some pent up energy. But with the afternoon winding down into evening, he knew he had to get back to the village. The sun would set soon and if he did have anything worth staying alive for, he should at least retreat to the safety of the village.

The trek back past the cliffs and through the forest didn't take long. Soon he could hear Gobber's whistling from nearby and the clanging on the anvil. Probably Finn—he was always banging on something. Chatter from villagers filled the air as he passed the fishery, but the sound of sloshing water caught him off guard. Erick turned to the ocean and blinked.

There he was. The bane of his existence, the thorn in his side, the chatterbox that could talk a hyper girl's ears off and keep going long after Ragnarok destroyed mankind as they knew it. Cliff.

The curly-haired teen sat in a little skiff, which bobbed to and fro on the rather calm waves. His oars twisted in different directions as he chattered endlessly, apparently coaching himself on which way to turn one oar and twist the other one that way- no no, that's not quite right, hang on we got this, NOBODY PANIC-

Erick shook his head in utter disbelief and sighed heavily. The kid was hopeless. He turned back to the village to continue on his merry way when suddenly-

"ERICK!"

Erick halted mid-step and groaned aloud. "I hate-"

"BUDDY!"

"-my life."

Cliff hooted from his little ship, affectionately named _The Hopeful Puffin_. "My friend! Have you come to my ultimate rescue?"

"More like your ultimate demise." Erick muttered as he turned on his heel toward open water. He pointed toward the village with a thumb. "Actually I was-"

"Gonna catch some dinner?"

"Uh-"

"Great! I'll join you as soon as I get back to land and we can go impress the ladies with our-"

"Okay," Erick interrupted. He was learning quickly that if one wanted to be heard with Cliff around, it was best to interrupt. "But I was actually just heading home. Got a lot of prep to do for… ya know, stuff. Tomorrow's stuff."

Cliff blinked from the _Puffin_. "Stuff? Cool, I like stuff! Does stuff involve cute girls?"

"No-"

"Is stuff the code word for girls?"

"No!" Erick slapped a hand to his forehead. "Look, I have to go-"

"Awww but you wouldn't leave a handsome guy like me stranded would you?" Erick swore he could see the huge poochy lip on Cliff's face, even from that distance.

Erick scowled. "No."

"I knew you were a good friend!"

"What?"

"I said you wouldn't leave me stranded, and you said no! So you were agreeing!" Cliff grinned with outstretched arms.

Erick growled indignantly. "No! I did not- ARGGHHHH YOU'RE SO FRUSTRATING!" With a sharp turn, Erick stomped toward the village.

"Buddy? Buddy ole' pal?"

Erick kept walking. He was not going to help. No. The little punk got him in that mess, he could get himself-

" _Pretty please_?"

Erick gradually came to a stop. The silence was deafening. He stared across the neighborhood and happy villagers and dragons, loving every minute of their peaceful lives. And what did he get? Dumb curly tops that couldn't steer a skiff that looked to be made by a 3-year-old.

Erick worked his jaw before turning toward the fishery. He grumbled under his breath as Cliff cheered in celebration. He hung his bow and quiver on a pole, untied the smallest (normal) skiff he could find and rowed toward Cliff's stranded plywood. He vaguely wondered just what he had done to the gods that they so despised him and enjoyed his suffering. He could feel each pump of the oars strain the healing cuts underneath the arm guards, but didn't show pain.

His boat bumped into _The Hopeful Puffin_ a moment later and Cliff hopped over, talking cheerfully as always. Erick seriously considered dumping him into the ocean as he tied _The Puffin_ to his boat.

"-never had a friend like you!"

"I am not your friend."

"Aww sure you are-"

"Oh go get eaten by a shark."

Cliff tsked his tongue. "Kind words."

"I didn't mean them."

The curly-haired boy laughed. "What exactly is your problem with me?"

Erick stopped rowing, his face going slack and eyes wide. "What is my problem? What is my PROBLEM? I'll tell you what my problem is! My life sucks, I've got no family that really cares about me because the ones who did are _dead_ , I basically screwed up the only good friendship I had because I blamed her for something that I shouldn't have and now I can't do anything to get her back, my sister doesn't trust me to babysit my niece and nephew anymore, my boss doesn't trust me to get work done anymore, I'm stressed beyond BELIEF and have absolutely NO CLUE how to get a grip on myself, and to make matters worse, Horst goes behind my back and hires YOU of all people! Maybe the one kid on the island who couldn't annoy me any less with your constant talking and painfully horrible jokes and the same sudden, weird stories that make no sense! And you're seriously asking what my PROBLEM is?"

Cliff sat in complete silence as Erick slumped back in his seat, rubbing his face and sighing heavily. For nearly a minute, only the sound of waves lapping against the boats could be heard.

"Do I really annoy you that much?"

Erick huffed as he stared at the sky. "I know. I'm a jerk. I'm not the same kid I used to be."

Cliff shrugged. "Well… nobody's expecting you to be."

Erick sent him a dark glare. "Everyone's expecting me to act in a way I can't."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean-" Erick cut himself off. He sat up with a huff and began rowing again. "Whatever. Won't change anything."

Cliff edged forward in his seat with a warm smile. "Come on, I'm a good listener."

Erick laughed out loud. "You, a good listener? Right."

"Nah really, I don't usually shut up but I've got some good ears. Comes from my shyer days."

"Shy and a good listener? I'm not buying it." Erick rolled his eyes.

"Well, if you ever want to talk about stuff- and not like girls kind of stuff though we could talk about girls if you want to-"

"Ugh Cliff, I don't want to talk to you about anything. I want to get to land so I can get on with my life, if possible. Don't you have other friends to talk to?"

Cliff puckered his lips. "No."

Erick stopped mid-stroke. "No…?"

"No. I don't." Cliff shrugged. "See, like I said before, I was really shy when I was young so all the other kids made friends. By the time I was flowering into my bubbly persona, nobody was really willing to let me join in their little bubbles. It's okay, really," he shrugged. "Who needs prissy people anyway?"

Erick frowned. Suddenly he was unsettled by the idea of Cliff being alone with nobody to talk to. "But… I see you with kids your age."

"Oh sure, I sit with them but, ya know. Cool kids. You've got to earn your right to talk. And why do you say it like 'kids my age,' you're only a year and a half older than me." Cliff smirked.

Erick avoided eye contact and kept rowing. The trip back was taking a lot longer than the ride out there. "I feel a lot older."

There was the look. Pity crossed Cliff's face and suddenly Erick wanted to dump him back into the ocean.

Cliff either didn't notice or realized his mistake, because the expression was fleeting. "Sooooo do you want me to take an oar? I'm not great at rowing but with the current-"

" _Current_?" Erick yelped, whipping around to see the Berk… right there. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "What. Current. We're not going anywhere!"

"Hey, there's a small current or we'd be getting there faster."

Erick wanted to drown himself. "Ocean currents aren't slow, they suck you out pretty fast. Isn't your dad the head of the fishery?"

Cliff blushed. "Why do you think I was looking for a job? Fishery isn't exactly… my calling…"

Erick glanced at _The Hopeful Puffin_. "I'll say."

"Oh! I haven't told you yet about how I built my ship!"

"Ship?"

"Yeah, _The Hopeful Puffin!_ You were just looking at it, I'll regale you with stories of our great adventures together-"

"Oh shut up and take an oar."

Through much agony, frustration and torture on Erick's side, and laughter and "epic storytelling skills" on Cliff's, the boys eventually reached the docks. It turned out that Cliff didn't improve their speed at all. He was so clueless when rowing a boat that Erick had to bite his tongue to keep from cursing or throwing a tantrum. The cuts on his arm burned and itched like crazy, he was sweaty and hot, and he was sure to get a verbal beating when he got home. Peaceful Saturday over.

He literally dumped Cliff onto the dock, snatched his bow and quiver off the pole, and walked away as quickly as he could. He gave a sarcastic wave over his shoulder at Cliff's shouted goodbye and "see you Monday, bruh!"

Erick made it halfway home, grumbling all the while, when a hand grabbed his sleeve and tugged him into a dark alley. He gasped in surprise and readied a fist to punch when he saw Cale standing there with a wide smirk on his face.

"Gonna hit me, Larson?"

Erick huffed and dropped his hand. "What do you want, Cale?"

Cale's smirk didn't waver. "A little birdie told me that you're struggling."

Erick gave the dark-haired boy an incredulous, confused look. "Umm… o-kay? So what do you care?"

"I personally don't." Cale shrugged. "I'm actually here to deliver a message."

Erick shoved passed and kept walking. "Don't know, don't care."

"Only the strong can survive."

Erick frowned and faced Cale again, who still stood there with that daring smirk. "What?"

"You have a lot of problems, like many of us." Cale bobbed his head to the side once. "Most of us are told to cope with our problems, deal with it ourselves, get over it. Whatever the case or situation, we find ourselves falling for the same trap."

Erick didn't know what the guy was talking about, but his curiosity was piqued. "What trap?"

"That weakness equals failure." Cale's eyes seemed to glint. "If you want to be weak and frail forever, both in mind and body, by all means, keep walking. But if you want to learn how to survive, how to be strong, then follow me."

Red flags were going up in Erick's mind left and right. He'd never liked Cale. The guy was a creep and a jerk, he was always picking on people younger than him or making out with his girlfriend Morgan in highly public places. He just gave Erick the willies.

But he could curse his curiosity. He couldn't be given all that information and simply _not_ wonder what was meant. Most of what he said was directly applicable to him. Cale spoke in plural form, like it was a group setting. What did it mean?

"You comin'?" Cale interrupted his thoughts.

Erick tightened his hold on his quiver strap across his shoulder. He vaguely wondered if Cale's jerky friends Frey and Evan were waiting in the dark to mug him. Ah whatever; he was already battered by self abuse and didn't have anything valuable. Surely there were better people to hit than him.

"Okay," Erick finally replied. "Where are we going?"

Cale smiled. "Stay low and quiet."

Erick quickly followed the other teenager down the alley. As they walked, he noticed that Cale kept to the shadows and almost never approached the sunlight. He wondered if getting answers was really worth the trouble. He also wondered if they weren't being more conspicuous by hiding in the shadows. Wouldn't it be better to just walk casually to your destination, as opposed to very obviously hiding something? It didn't seem like a smart plan, but Erick chose not to comment.

The boys neared the edge of the village when a familiar high pitch ringing sounded from the air. Cale grabbed Erick by the shirt and pulled him into the house wall as Hiccup and Toothless whistled overhead. Erick watched them disappear and looked to Cale in confusion, but he was already on the move, ducking behind a nearby wagon.

"What was that about?" Erick asked.

Cale rolled his eyes. "I told you to stay low and quiet. Obviously that bit of instruction means we wouldn't want to be followed or seen, especially by the chief."

"Why?"

Cale didn't answer. Instead he peeked out from behind the wagon. After a few silent breaths, he waved Erick forward and jogged toward the forest line. Erick kept up with him, wondering what exactly the 18-year-old would want to show him out in the forest. The farther they traveled, the more concern took over his curiosity. They ran past thick oaks and boulders, crossed a wide stream, and even passed the famous cove where Hiccup had first met and trained Toothless all those years ago.

It was fairly warm outside in the midday heat when the boys emerged from the forest and faced an old field. Crumbling rows in the dirt proved to be from an old farm maybe a few decades ago. Clearly the land hadn't been tilled in years. The dirt crunched beneath their boots as Cale led the way toward an old shack at the forefront of the deceased garden.

"What is this place?" Erick finally asked.

Cale smirked when they finally reached the door and rapped his knuckles against the old wood in a series of knocks, like a combination. The door swung open promptly and he turned to Erick. "The beginning of your new life."

Erick wanted to say he was being overly dramatic about this whole thing, but held his tongue. Instead, he gazed into the dim room and stepped inside. Cale followed him in and the door promptly shut behind him. What Erick saw made him pause in confusion.

Teenagers. A dozen scattered throughout the single yet spacious room—sitting on chairs around a table, on a nearby bench and counter top, or standing by the ancient, unlit fireplace. There were various ages present, the youngest maybe thirteen and the oldest eighteen, like Cale. Erick recognized their faces and knew their names, but he was confused.

Sure enough, as he'd suspected, Cale's two jerk buddies Frey and Evan were present. Both were strong and loyal to Cale, but weren't the sharpest knives in the drawer. Standing beside them in all her glorious majesty (and choking perfume that permeated the air) was Morgan. Dana, the mean girl who'd always picked on Adrianna over the years, stood next to her with a tenacious smirk that always made him nervous. There was also Thorein, a boy of fifteen, and a couple of girls named Jackie and Kaelan were also present, though he wasn't as familiar with them.

What surprised him most were the last three: Helga and Gunnar Ingerman sat at the table, the latter tapping his fingers on the table top nervously. He glanced at his sister, who sat there with a wild grin only her mother could replicate, with a hand wrapped around her boyfriend's shoulders.

"So Larson," Finn broke the silence with a nasty smirk. "what do you think of my little posse?"

Erick glanced around the room once or twice skeptically. He shifted a little when he glanced at Gunnar, who avoided eye contact like he wanted to be anywhere but here. "Your… posse?"

Finn nodded. "Yep. So, what do you think?"

Erick resisted the urge to smile. "You want my honest opinion?"

"Honesty is appreciated."

"Mkay." Erick looked around the room once again, his mind filling with questions. One at a time though. "First, I think I deserve some answers after being dragged across half of Berk."

Finn gestured with a hand for him to go on. "Fire away."

"It's not really a question, but mostly an affirmation." Erick dropped down the few steps in front of the doorway and approached the table. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at Finn. "This is the group that the chief, your dad, has been trying to catch."

"Trying and failing." Finn smirked. "I'd say we're pretty successful, wouldn't you?"

"Oh yeah," Erick agreed. "How long do you expect this to last?"

Frey stepped forward. "You think we can't do it? We've survived most of the summer-"

"Relax, Frey." Finn interrupted pointedly. "We don't want to jump the bow on our aggression, do we?"

Erick was surprised at how the Frey, an 18-year-old boy, was so easily silenced by a boy three years his junior. "Obviously you're the leader of this… what, gang? Is that what you're calling yourselves?"

Finn leaned into the table with a shrug. "Call it what you will. Posse sounds cool, gang has a negative connotation to it but has a dangerous lilt that kind of rolls off the tongue, inspires fear into the people. I like it." A few of the kids snickered. Finn focused back on Erick. "But yes. I am the leader."

Erick frowned, glancing at the wall above the fireplace where three old shields hung with frightening portraits of Viking women. He wasn't sure why the teens wouldn't remove them from the premises. "And let me guess… I'm here because you want me to join in on your ragtag team of followers because… why exactly?"

Jackie snorted from her seat, her long auburn braid falling over her shoulder. "He's quick."

"Why do you think I wanted him?" Finn snipped.

"Honestly I think it's a waste," Cale scowled, looking Erick up and down like he was a potential enemy. Perhaps he was. "He's weaker than most of us here put together, so-"

"Cale," Finn interrupted calmly. "Make yourself useful and load us up. Supplies are getting low."

Erick watched as Cale's face turned a dark shade of red. Again, he was surprised at how well Finn could dominate these older kids as if he was the older boy. He vaguely wondered if these guys were scared of him. He wouldn't kid himself; Finn was a pretty impressive kid. He was stronger than most kids thanks to his genetics, his reflexes were akin to none in battle practices, his mind was sharp and he was good at his job. He was the son of the chief and future chief himself. He was popular, had a great girlfriend. Pretty much everything Erick wasn't. But Erick didn't find himself envying Finn very much. Actually, he found that somehow he could relate to the 15-year-old. Finn gave off the illusion of confidence and strength by his willpower and physical prowess. But Erick knew loneliness and grief when he saw it.

Without a word, Cale stomped out of the house and slammed the door behind him. Frey and Evan scuffled after him, muttering to each other as they went. When they finally left, Finn returned his attention to Erick.

"Sorry." Finn didn't sound very apologetic. "Cale's a jerk."

"I don't need people to tell me my problems, I know about them well enough." Erick griped, annoyance lacing his voice. "What even is this place?"

"Ever heard of Mildew?" Helga asked.

"Old guy when our parents were younger."

"This was his place." Finn scratched his cheek. "It's been empty for years and nobody ever comes out here. I figured a while back that it was a great place to hang out, but it serves as an even better hideout."

"So this is where all your drinking parties happen too, I take it."

Helga smirked. "Did you want an invite?"

"Ahh-"

"No worries," Finn interrupted. "You'll have free invites to things from now on."

"I'm not really interested in drinking. Thanks for the kind thought though." Erick replied sarcastically. With the toe of his boot, he pulled out a nearby chair and sat down across from Finn.

The boys watched each other in silence until Kaelan, a young, curly-haired blonde girl spoke up. "So you're an archer?"

Erick shrugged. "I can shoot. I'm not great but I'm not terrible."

"It's actually the best experience you have with a weapon." Finn commented.

Erick made a face. "What, do you watch me in my free time?"

"No, I'd get bored."

"Okay," Erick huffed and sat forward. "So you guys choose random locations on the island to vandalize… why? Just for a thrill? What's the point?"

Finn smirked. "Everyone has what I like to call a fatal flaw. My aim is to help others eliminate theirs as I've eliminated mine."

"By shirking authority?" Erick dared.

Thorein frowned from his seat. "Are we sure he's not going to turn us in? He doesn't sound as 'on board' as you said he would be."

Finn waved a hand in annoyance. "Relax, he's been here five minutes. This is one of his strong suits, but I do agree that we need to establish some trust. It could also be a fatal flaw."

Erick frowned. "What could?"

"You're honest. Brutally honest." Finn's gaze was penetrating. "You don't take anybody's crap and you're a loyal, hard worker when you put your mind to something. But sometimes it's hard to tell which side you're really on because you're so… flat out sarcastic in a way that only my father or sister could rival. You're loyal to your chosen few that you care about, but when tension gets high…" Finn shrugged. "You don't seem to do well under pressure. Fatal flaw."

Erick swallowed, trying not to take offense. "So why would you want me? You clearly don't trust me. I mean, you're right. What's to stop me from 'switching sides', as it were?"

Finn smiled knowingly. "Oh, you won't tattle. You're too curious and deep down, you know you're sick of being weak. You want to be stronger and better than this. I want to help."

Erick snickered, a little surprised to hear himself laugh it had been so long. "So you're a gang that vandalizes people's property with a psychological agenda to mentally strengthen your members? I still don't get what the point is-"

A few of the kids rolled their eyes and Finn groaned. "Gods, you are _so_ like my sister. There doesn't have to be a point to _everything_ you do."

"Something this huge, yes it does." Erick argued. "Trying to cover it up with a mental exercise just makes it sound weird."

Helga huffed. "We're making a statement."

"Enlighten me."

"You call it shirking authority," Finn replied with a greedy glint in his eye. "We call it going rogue, shaking a fist, intimidating. Yes, we've only hit random homes or work places, it's not like we're terrorizing people. But we're still getting a statement across to my father and the council and whoever else: we're here, we're always watching, we can do a whole lot of damage, and we're a whole lot harder to catch that you think."

Erick shrugged indifferently. "So why me? You've got quite the group here, I can see where you have the brains and guts," He nodded to the Ingermans. "And the muscle in Cale and the boys, and… I'm not really sure what the rest of you are for."

Dana sneered. "I'm here for the show. I'll do diversions when necessary but that's it."

Morgan inspected her nails. "I'm here for Cale."

"Of course you are," Erick sniffed.

"Everyone has a job and purpose. Everyone has the right to speak up and there really aren't many rules." Finn boasted.

"Until someone steps out of line, right Finn?" Erick asked casually. Finn's eyes locked onto his. Erick shrugged. "You know, sometimes people in authority get a little too headstrong and abuse their… opportunities. They don't like it when they're contradicted."

Erick waited for Finn to get angry, but instead he smiled cruelly. "This is why I like you. But on a serious note, I want you on my team because first, I need equipment for our next few hits, which you can easily get from the leather shop. Second, I want information. You and my dad seemed to be on good terms. I know you have impeccable hearing and can overhear conversations really well, even when you're completely zoned out. I've seen it. You'll be staring off into space while people are talking, someone will say your name and you'll be right there, having followed the conversation the whole time." Finn shook his head. "Your attention skills honestly do astound me. Third, you're smart and perceptive. Like I said, you don't take anybody's crap, you think through your thoughts and actions before doing them, and I admire the streak of rebelliousness that you have. I can work with that."

"For what?" Erick asked. "What do I get out of it? Define true strength, Finn, _sell me_."

"You know weakness and helplessness just as well as I do." Finn leaned forward. "There are few people that I can relate to in that matter. It's not fair, the things that happen to us and we're just told to take our time to grieve and heal, and someday life will go back to butterflies and roses and everything will just be okay. But it's not is it?"

Erick dropped his eyes to the table. He felt his resolve crumbling and all he could hear was Finn's words.

"I don't know about you, but I'm tired of being reminded every day of my weakest moments. It's only by fighting hard and staying strong that I survive every day, and if I see others struggling in the same way, I say we take arms and fight the battle together."

"By vandalizing people's homes?" Erick asked a little skeptically.

Finn shook his head. "It's not about the homes or the work areas. It's a different kind of coping method. Some drink their lives away, some run away and hide, some cut and injure themselves. At least we stay proactive and kill the pain with pain, we train physically and we pull stupid stunts and make dumb choices, and while the adrenaline rush is pretty addicting, you'll find that it's pretty effective. Learn to be strong and brave, and kill weakness before it kills you. You've drowned in weakness long enough, don't you think?"

Erick remained silent for several minutes. At the core of his thoughts, he kept thinking over and over that the whole thing was silly. Finn tried to justify it with an adrenaline rush and the desire to kill weakness, but how would vandalizing people's homes and livelihood kill the pain? How could that kill the pain growing inside him every day?

At the same time, he realized, he was _beyond_ tired of the emptiness inside. He was tired of feeling helpless and alone and scared that anything could happen at any time. He never did anything extra-curricular, if he wasn't working then he was at home hiding from his mother. Gustav and Magnus weren't checking on him; Hiccup was too busy being chief and trying to track these guys down. The more he thought about it, the more attractive it sounded. He did want to kill his weakness. He wanted a team that he could depend on. He wanted to be strong.

Locking eyes with Finn, Erick smirked. "Where do I start?"


	10. Laying Low

Cale slammed the door open and marched into the winery, muttering under his breath. Evan and Frey scurried behind him, grabbing the door and gently closing it and picking up barrels he'd knocked over.

"Cale, breathe man," Frey warned. "We have to be quiet."

"Shut up." Cale growled. He came to a stop and huffed angrily. "I am so tired of that puny kid talking down to me like he's so much better, always with that smug grin on his face like he's the best."

"It's Fearless Finn Haddock," Evan rolled eyes. "According to himself, he _is_ the best."

"Well I can only take so much of it." Cale muttered. "If he keeps this up, I'll wring his skinny neck with my bare hands."

Frey rolled his shoulders. "I'd be right there with you, but now's not the time for that. We'll put him in his place soon enough. But for now we'd best just do what he says. With people hanging around tonight, we do need more supplies. Let's just grab a few small barrels and leave through the back."

Cale grunted in response, but complied. The trio scoured through the barrels of mead and wine, making a few selections. Obviously they couldn't load up as much as their usual nightly raids; it was currently broad daylight and they needed to look as inconspicuous as possible. Luckily, Evan worked in the winery, so it wouldn't be completely out of the question for the other boys to be seen helping him carry his load. As long as they didn't run into Evan's boss, they'd be pretty much home free. Teenagers never worked on the weekends after all.

They worked silently and quickly, but after nearly ten minutes of silent work, Cale suddenly straightened. "Did you guys hear that?"

Frey and Evan paused, waiting patiently. Evan shook his head. "Nope. You're hearing things."

"No…" Cale whispered, motioning for them to come closer. "It sounded like the door-"

From the corner of his eye, a shadow moved behind Evan. Before Cale could make a sound, an axe handle slammed into the side of Evan's neck and he collapsed with a yelp of pain. Cale dropped his chosen products and sprinted toward the back door. Frey tucked and rolled to avoid the oncoming hit, and ran after Cale. The boys heard a silent _zhing_ before a large, double-bladed axe slammed into the door handle, effectively cutting them off.

Frey and Cale whipped around, fists ready to attack. Their assailant stood in the shadows for a moment before lunging forward. Cale attacked him with a swift uppercut toward the face, but the man rolled under the attack, dodged Frey's punches, and managed to kick Cale in the backside when he popped back to his feet. The attacker kicked Frey in the ankles and sent him sprawling. He smacked his forehead on the edge of a crate and cried out in pain, clutching his head.

Cale growled, throwing all his strength into his attacks. He threw jabs, uppercuts and hooks, even an overhand, but he realized this individual was very good at hand-to-hand combat, even in the darkness of the room. Cale felt himself tiring out when the man socked him right in the face.

Pain exploded across his face and he felt a wetness on his mouth that signaled a bloody nose. He had no time to register a counterattack when his assailant was on him again, jabbing him in the ribs. He saw a flash of blonde and came to his senses a bit. He ducked under the next jab and slammed his fist into the man's ribs. Cale heard the grunt of pain, but was shocked to realize it wasn't a man at all. It was a woman. Now he was angry. Not only had they been caught, they were being taken out by a woman!

Grabbing a small barrel nearby, he threw it over his head toward the woman, who nimbly dodged. Cale reached into his boot and whipped out a long, thin blade.

"Put that down." The woman ordered. She sounded vaguely familiar, but Cale didn't care anymore. His honor as a man was being put into question. "This doesn't have to get any messier than it is."

"Sure, it does." Cale spat blood toward her. "Only thing between me and that door is you. If I have to use extreme measures, I'll-"

"Cale, I'm warning you," The woman interrupted again. "Put. The knife. Down."

Anyone with two brain cells would have complied. She knew who he was, so getting away wouldn't make any difference. But the idea only made him more aggressive. Instead, Cale did probably the stupidest thing he could possibly do. He charged. Wielding his knife over his head, he ran toward her with a vicious cry. The woman crouched down and grabbed his wrist before it could fully come down on her. Using his momentum, she twisted his arm, threw him over her shoulder and slammed him onto his back.

Cale landed with a sickening thud that knocked the air out of his lungs. He choked and gasped for a moment, vaguely wondering what had just happened. She wasn't very big, but she was _strong_. She'd incapacitated three very strong 17 and 18-year-olds boys. What woman could do that?

As he choked on nothing, he vaguely heard the doors thrown open and people calling to her. Light flooded the room and Cale finally got a good look at the woman, and he swore colorfully.

Astrid Hofferson handed someone the blade and surveyed the 3 teenagers with a smug smile. "Somebody find Hiccup. We've finally got some suspects."

* * *

Hiccup shoved the doors open to the jail and walked swiftly toward his wife, Snotlout and Fishlegs. Astrid stood in front of the jail cell holding the boys, all sitting on the benches inside with their hands shackled. He could tell that she was very proud of her catch. She probably hadn't had a thrill like this in years. He couldn't help the smug smile that came to his face when he took his place by her side and looked at the teenagers within.

"Well," Hiccup began after a few silent moments. "I wish I could say I'm surprised, but frankly, I don't think I can." The other adults chortled behind him.

Frey sneered. "You're such a smug, egotistical b-"

"Language." Hiccup interrupted. "Let's make everyone's lives easier and just cooperate, okay? Anybody want to explain what you three were doing in the winery?"

"I work there." Evan spoke up. He had to talk with his head sideways with the large bruise forming on the slope of his shoulder. "They were helping me organize some-"

"Cut the crap, Evan." Snotlout interrupted. "We know you were there to steal stuff. Don't think we haven't noticed the shortages and missing products over the last few months!"

"Besides, teenagers don't work on the weekends." Fishlegs concurred.

"You can't prove it was us the other times." Frey spat.

"You seem pretty anxious to prove your innocence, Frey. Luckily, I don't have the time or patience for those kinds of investigations." Hiccup simpered. "We don't have solid proof or witnesses for the other break-ins, but we do for today. That's enough for us to convict you right now."

Evan pursed his lips and gazed at his boots. Frey grumbled under his breath and swiped the drying blood off his forehead, but Cale stared at Hiccup dead on, like he wanted to lunge through the bars and choke him.

Hiccup leaned on his forearms and clasped his fingers through the bars, watching them silently. "Do you boys know what some countries do to thieves? Let's go over it, shall we? I'll paint a picture." Hiccup gazed at the ceiling. "I mean, really, a jail cell isn't a grand palace, but you guys have got it really good. You could be tied to a post and beaten to a bloody pulp, one after the other, in front of everyone in humiliation. Or you could lose a few fingers or a hand, sometimes even an arm!" Hiccup shrugged. "Yeah, or my personal favorite, drawing and quartering!" Hiccup smirked at the horrified expressions on Frey and Evan's faces. "Oh yeah, some countries are quite brutal with their thieves. Banishments, branding, drowning, hanging, there are loads and _loads_ of options for punishment out there for thievery. They're quite… imaginative."

"B-but you're too umm… t-too good for that," Evan said in a strained voice. "You guys wouldn't go to such extreme measures-"

"Shut up, stupid, of course they wouldn't." Frey glared at him. "It was just wine."

"Stealing is stealing," Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "I don't care what you stole; you're plenty old enough to know what's right and wrong. Let's not dumb down the situation. If you'd simply surrendered, things would be much simpler. But you guys had to go and make things difficult by fighting back."

"I-I didn't fight. I was kinda knocked out." Evan scowled at Astrid, who smirked.

Hiccup bobbed a shoulder. "Then you get tried for attempted thievery and probably lose your job. Frey is pretty much on the same page. I'll be honest boys, you're very fortunate that you live on Berk because I can bet you anything that most places don't tolerate it. They call us barbarians but hey, I'm not that colorful in my discipline. I'm more concerned with Cale." The chief watched the brooding dark-haired boy with curiosity. "Your trial is going to be interesting."

Frey stiffened. "Why's that?"

"He didn't just try to steal wine." Hiccup replied. "You pulled a knife on my wife, verbally threatened her life, and attacked. I'm afraid that has some more serious consequences."

Cale gritted his teeth. "Like I was going to kill her."

"You were pretty set on it, Cale." Hiccup seethed back. "I'm not one to look at a rebellious teenager of eighteen years old and say that 'he didn't know what he was doing'. These are your trying moments right now, you're making decisions every day that show exactly the kind of person you are because you're _choosing_ to be that way. You have consistently shown a dark, violent side most of us have let slide, but I won't let it slide for very much longer."

"You're just mad because it was your wife." Cale growled.

Snotlout and Fishlegs snickered behind the bars while Astrid shook her head in amusement. Hiccup's face darkened. "In a way, yes. But if you think for one second that I would let something like that slide if it was _anyone_ else, man or woman, then you know nothing about me."

"I couldn't care less."

"Clearly." Hiccup sniffed. "We'll take more about your trials later."

"Cool, good talk chief." Frey muttered.

Hiccup snorted. "Oh, I'm not finished. Not by a long shot. I want to talk about your friends."

Evan shrugged, trying to remain nonchalant. "What about them?"

Hiccup internally smirked. "I want them behind bars."

"Um…" Evan blinked. "Why?"

Hiccup sighed and pulled his arms back through the bars. Astrid's scowl was deep. "You know why."

"Not really-"

"Guys, come on," Hiccup crossed his arms. "We know all about the gang." Evan flinched and stared at his shoes. Hiccup noticed Cale glance at the other boy darkly. "We don't know exactly who is in it or their plans, but we've got the gist. You guys aren't on a schedule and you don't seem to have much of a pattern to the places you hit except to destroy. I'm going to put a stop to it and you'd make your lives a whole lot easier if you helped."

Cale sneered. "What do our trials have to do with anything? You don't have any proof that we're part of any gang."

Hiccup internally sighed. Cale was a bit more insightful than the other two. "We don't have many thieves on Berk. We have even fewer vandals. I've got eyes and ears everywhere trying to catch them. What are the odds that you're caught in one of the very locations that we've been watching carefully, and you just happened to be on our list of suspects?"

"Why were we on your list of suspects?" Evan asked. Cale smacked his boot against Evan's and the boy silenced.

Hiccup watched them carefully. Evan very clearly wasn't good at hiding things when under pressure. He tried to sound carefree and nonchalant (when he wasn't terrified), but Hiccup could practically see the fear radiating off of him. He could get answers out of the teen, but with Cale and Frey present, he wasn't sure.

Hiccup held out his hand and wiggled his fingers. Astrid dropped the keys in his palm and the boys curiously watched him unlock the door. The chief stepped inside and hauled Evan to his feet.

"W-what- where are we going?" Evan asked nervously.

Hiccup steered him down the hall, away from the group. "We're going to have a little chat away from your friends." Astrid locked the door again, but she couldn't keep the boys inside quiet.

"Hey," Frey shouted indignantly. "You can't just grill him alone like that!"

"Actually you'll find that he can." Astrid corrected.

"Evan, don't you say a word or there'll be hell to pay!" Cale yelled.

"Quiet!" Snotlout banged on the bars with his fist.

Hiccup kept walking with his fingers firm on Evan's arm. "Keep going." They got to the door and marched outside. Evan was momentarily blinded by the sunlight and vaguely wondered if a man with a peg-leg could catch him if he tried to run… but a quick glance around the jail at all the guards sitting with their dragons, especially Toothless trotting behind them, he knew he wasn't going anywhere.

The chief led him through the quiet alleys and up the stairs toward the Great Hall. Evan gulped, wondering if the Council was up there. Was his trial now? What if they _did_ decide to brand him as a thief, or banish him? Or _worse_?

The teenager was pleasantly surprised that the Great Hall was empty, save a few cooks and bartenders. He couldn't help the small sigh of relief that escaped his lips.

Hiccup glanced at him. "Relax. I'm not going to bite."

"You're the chief. Is your bark worse?"

Hiccup smirked and guided him toward the meat room. Evan blinked in confusion when the chief pushed him into a chair. "Watch him, Bud." As he disappeared into the meat freezer, a cold room in the back of the Hall full of their meat and dairy stock, Evan eyed Toothless warily. The Night Fury sat on his haunches beside the teen and watched him with wide green eyes. The dragon sniffed his hair until Evan pushed his nose away, the shackles jangling.

"Quit it. I'm in no mood for your big mug in my face." Evan snarled. Toothless huffed and slapped him with his tail. "OW! Stupid dragon-"

Hiccup reemerged from the meat freezer with a bag of ice. "Hey, be nice. You sass him, he'll sass you right back." He tossed the bag of ice at Evan, who caught it in both hands. The teen looked at him curiously and Hiccup nodded toward his shoulder. "That looks painful. Ice it."

Evan complied with not a little confusion, wondering why the big bad chief was being nice to him. It didn't make any sense. Where was the mighty fist people mentioned? Where was the jerky attitude Finn always griped about? When was the hammer going to fall?

Hiccup took a seat across from him and leaned against his crossed arms, studying him. Evan waited until he couldn't stand the chief's penetrating green eyes any longer. "What?"

The Haddock shook his head. "I'm just trying to figure you out. You act tough around your friends, but the second you're questioned, you look guilty."

"So you single me out to get answers where Cale and Frey wouldn't."

"If Cale said there will be hell to pay for telling me anything, then my interest is even more piqued." Hiccup replied.

"You think I'm weak."

Hiccup frowned. "That depends on how you define weakness."

"You're singling me out because we're stronger in numbers. I wouldn't answer questions with Cale and Frey sitting there, so you're hoping I'll answer when I'm alone. But I'm not telling you anything."

"I'm not buying it, Evan." Hiccup replied. "Because you're so set on proving yourself innocent of criminal activity, you're just making me more suspicious. An innocent doesn't feel the need to prove anything so strongly. He'd say 'search me'."

"Then search me, chief!" Evan growled, adjusting his ice pack. "I haven't done anything wrong. Except try to take booze."

Hiccup smirked. "Admitting to your crimes. That's progress."

Evan huffed. "Please, I'm not turning into a Mr. Goody Two Boots like your perfect posse."

"So you go the opposite direction?" Hiccup asked, rubbing Toothless' scales.

"Okay, if there _was_ a gang, hypothetically, what would be the point in destroying people's property?"

Hiccup shrugged. "I've been asking myself that question for weeks."

"And you've still got no answers! Maybe it's just a couple drunks causing problems for the heck of it. What makes you think it's a _gang_?"

"Drunks aren't that coordinated and they don't escape that flawlessly. For months on end, no less."

"Less hands make light work."

"Yes, but a team can get more done, more effectively."

"That's stupid. They'd get caught with more people."

"Unless they had an inside job."

Evan frowned and fidgeted in his seat. "Huh?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Hypothetically."

"You… think they have an insider?"

Hiccup fought to keep his face neutral. "Well, how else would they know about my guards' schedules? I've gone through a lot of trouble to catch these people and it's been months. I've had to cut back on my midnight watches because my people are worn out. Whoever their informant is must be pretty sneaky because this gang has been on top of everything." Hiccup sighed in exasperation.

"Hm." Evan murmured, pondering the information.

Hiccup watched him carefully. Phase One: false information planted. Of course, he _was_ making adjustments to his plans, but he wasn't going to tell Evan exactly what. Now it was time for Phase Two. "You know… you would really be doing yourself a favor by helping me out."

Evan's thoughtful expression vanished and he glared once more. "Not gonna happen, chief."

"No no, hear me out," Hiccup held out a placating hand. "Answer me one question, just one, and I'll let you go."

Evan blinked in confusion. "Let me go? But-"

"Unless you'd rather answer a question and sit in a jail cell."

"You'd let me go? Why?" Evan asked. "You know I'm guilty. Of stealing. Attempted stealing."

Hiccup forced himself to stay relaxed. He was so anxious to get answers and he could feel Evan's resolve crumbling, but he couldn't show it. If Evan realized he was being played to the exact spot he was wanted, he'd shut down.

"Because I'm a firm believer in second chances," Hiccup replied calmly. "If I can give someone a chance to prove himself trustworthy, I'll do it. Just remember that next time, I won't be so gracious."

Evan chewed his lip, clearly thinking. Hiccup knew he was giving the teen a clean slate. The council wouldn't like it, but he _had_ to get answers. He was getting desperate. It was only a matter of time before someone got hurt and property damages would be the least of his worries.

"I'll tell ya what," Hiccup conceded. "You answer one question, I'll let you go _and_ I'll talk to your boss about keeping your job."

Evan's eyes widened. Hiccup didn't know Evan very well, but he did know his family. His father wanted his boys to have a job. An unruly teen with a criminal record would have a hard time finding a job, especially if said teen was part of a gang of unruly teens, like Hiccup suspected. Evan's greedy expression to take advantage of the offer was only reinforcing the chief's suspicions.

Evan glanced between Hiccup and the doorway, and nervously swallowed. "One question?"

"One."

Evan glanced at the doorway again. Hiccup vaguely wondered if the teen suspected the gang to charge in at any second and beat him to a bloody pulp for toying with his proposal. Finally, Evan leaned forward. "Okay, fine. But don't tell anyone it was me."

"Who would I-" Hiccup stopped himself. He had one question and teenagers were unruly. One accidental inquiry and Evan might take that as his one question. He had to make it count. Hiccup rubbed his face and paused, thinking. Looking at the teen, he finally settled on one question. "Who's the leader?"

Evan's eyes widened like saucers and he shook his head. "No. Next question."

Hiccup's eyes narrowed and Evan looked away. Either the teen was afraid of the leader or he _really_ didn't want Hiccup to know. Maybe both. He slowly exhaled. "Fine. Where's the hideout?"

Evan winced and shook his head.

Hiccup couldn't help but smile. Part of the agreement should've been to actually answer the one question he asked. "Okay…" He thought again. "How many kids are in the group?"

"Who said it was kids?"

Hiccup felt his patience wavering. "Answer the question, please."

Evan bit his lip. "More than ten. Less than fifteen."

Hiccup deflated inside, but nodded once. It wasn't exactly what he'd been looking for, but he really had gleaned loads of information. He gestured for Evan's wrists and pulled out a key. After unlocking the shackles, he waved the teen off. "You're free to go."

"Seriously?" Evan asked nervously.

"Don't make me regret this, Evan." Hiccup frowned. "Next time, I won't be so forgiving."

Toothless snarled, making Evan jump. The chief nodded toward the doorway once more and the teenager bolted. Chief and dragon watched him go until the doors slammed. Hiccup huffed and rubbed his face. Moments later he heard footsteps and felt her sit on the bench next to him.

"Why did you do that?" Astrid asked. "You let him go!"

Hiccup clasped his hands in front of his mouth and shook his head. "We need answers, Astrid. Someone's going to get hurt and we can't risk that."

"Yes, but you let a suspect go!"

"He's naïve. Anyone naïve deserves at least one chance. Only time will tell if he makes wise choices." Hiccup replied. "Like I said, next time I won't be so forgiving."

"I know." Astrid sighed, rubbing his arm. "Do you think it'll work?"

"Do I hope he'll take the false information to the rest of the gang? Yes. Let's just hope they're stupid enough to try something. By tripling the nightly watch by man and dragon, we should hopefully catch them."

"And if we don't?"

"They can't hide forever. It has to be kids and no kids are that organized forever. They're going to slip up somewhere and when they do, we'll be waiting." The couple sat in silence for several minutes, pondering the situation. Hiccup looked at her sideways. "What did you do with Cale and Frey?"

"Separated them. Cale's in the back and Frey's toward the front. I didn't want them talking."

"Didn't get anything out of them?"

"No. Stiff as boards. And I've never liked Cale but… wow. I don't know how Snotlout and Heather tolerate it."

"They don't. They kicked him out."

"Hiccup, they helped him find a house because he was better off living alone-"

"Astrid. They kicked him out. Whether they did it nicely or not, they kicked him out."

"Fine, fine. He doesn't seem to care much either way."

"Nope."

Astrid sighed and slung her leg across his lap. Hiccup glanced down and massaged her calf muscle as they talked. "Now what?"

Her husband shrugged. "Let's gather the council. We need to talk."

Astrid nodded in agreement, but neither of them moved. Hiccup looked over at her and gave her a small smile. "I love you."

Astrid smiled and cupped his face in her hands. "I love you too, chief." She kissed him slowly and tenderly in a way that made his heart leap. In the back of his mind, he remembered their conversation a few weeks ago and wished he had the time to just take a day off and spend it with her. She'd been strong for him for so long and for once he wanted to make her feel loved. They hadn't had a date in months and most nights he wasn't able to come home until late.

He was about to deepen the kiss when she pulled away, breathing heavily. "T-that's enough of that."

Hiccup frowned. "Why?" he whispered and pulled her closer. "We don't do that often enough."

"Because we have more important things to do right now."

"Nothing is more important than my wife. I need to stop acting like it."

"Well…" Astrid rolled her eyes lightly. "True. Very true. But… not _now_. Besides, we're in the Hall. There are witnesses." She glanced toward the bar area where the workers were glancing over and whispering amongst themselves.

Hiccup snorted and pushed her leg off his legs. Standing, he yelled over, "No worries ladies and gents, we will not subject you to such horrors today."

A few workers snickered. One man waved him off with a spatula. "It's all good. I was just about to offer you guys the pantry-"

"And that's my cue to leave." Hiccup walked to the door hastily, the workers' laughter echoing behind them. He snickered at Astrid's blush as they walked outside. "Just like old times!"

"Oh shut up."

Toothless bounded down the stairs ahead of them. "All right, I'll gather everyone at the square."

"Okay, I'll head to the fishery."

As she ran down the stairs, Hiccup glanced at the storm clouds overhead and patted Toothless' head. "Come on, Bud. We need to be quick."

Dragon and rider flew into the square minutes later and landed on a rooftop overlooking the surrounding buildings. Within minutes, he spied Gobber, Fishlegs, Horst and a few other council members. Climbing across the rooftops, Toothless followed Hiccup's direction until he caught Fishlegs attention. Hiccup subtly tapped his ear twice, adjusted a strap on his armor, and snapped Toothless' landing gear wide open. Fishlegs gave a subtle nod and made his way toward the others.

Hiccup urged Toothless into the air and flew back toward the Great Hall to wait for them. The wind blowing in his face, he gazed up at the skies and sighed. If a storm wasn't brewing, he'd have done some crazy flying while they waited for the council. But it would be foolhardy to do so. As if reading his thoughts, Toothless huffed sadly.

"I know Bud. We'll go soon." Hiccup patted his side. "Hopefully." He really needed to take two days off: one for Astrid, one for Toothless. He didn't want to wait until he was retired. Finn wasn't _quite_ ready to be chief yet.

The chief waited for twenty minutes for the council to meet. People trickled in one by one through the various entrances that led to the Great Hall, some dripping from the rain outside. Few people knew about the secret entrances. Hiccup had realized early on that if the gang did have any insiders, it would be better for the council to meet as secretly as possible. He knew some of his friends had been pretty good at sneaking around in the shadows back in the day. Today's young generation could probably do it just as easily. It was possible they were being watched at any time.

Astrid took her seat at his right as Hiccup watched everyone take their seats at the large, round table. Ruffnut, Fishlegs, and Tuffnut sat on the other side of Astrid. Next were Snotlout and Gobber. Horst and Manny the Mad, keeper of the winery and weaponry, sat across from him. Mara, Mulch and Bucket were the final few to take their seats. This wasn't the entire council, but it did consist of the "most important" people. These were Hiccup's closest confidants on the council. They'd keep the other council members informed, of course. But for urgent information, all it took as a simple signal from Hiccup to call a meeting.

Hiccup waited patiently for conversations to die down before he began speaking. "Thanks for coming on such short notice, everyone. A few of you are already aware, but I wanted to inform you that we caught three boys trying to steal alcohol today."

"In broad daylight?" Horst asked.

"Fools." Manny the Mad scowled. "Who was it?"

"We'll get to that." Hiccup nodded. "But I have good reason to believe that they're also part of the gang."

Heads perked and whispers broke out around the table. "Did you get information out of them?" Gobber asked.

Hiccup's head swayed as he thought. "Yes and no. I know for sure it's a group of kids, more than ten and less than fifteen."

"That's… a vague number." Fishlegs scratched his cheek. "How'd you get that answer?"

Hiccup sighed. "I had to make a deal with one of them. If he answered one question, I'd let him go."

Almost instantly, the room burst into argument.

"Why would you-"

"HICCUP!"

"-trying to catch these riff raff for months and finally-"

"-ridiculous!"

"Can we blow him up?"

"-could you trust someone to not go back to the gang?"

"-was it? I DEMAND to know!"

Hiccup waited calmly for the outbursts to die down. When he thought he could be heard, he said, "I asked who the leader was and about their hideout, but he refused. That was the only question he would answer, so I had to take it. I couldn't go back on my deal. If he goes back, he goes back. But I don't think he will, except to warn them. I think I scared him well enough."

"Who was it?" Manny growled.

Hiccup winced. "Evan."

Manny's face began to turn purple.

"Manny-"

"HE BROKE INTO MY SHOP? I GAVE HIM A JOB AND _THIS_ IS HOW HE REPAYS ME?"

"For months on end, I might add." Snotlout added.

"Snotlout, not helping. Manny, I told him that if he helped me, I'd help him. He gets to keep his job."

The elderly man jumped out of his chair. "What?"

"Manny-"

"This is an outrage! It's my business-"

"Remember your position, Manford." Hiccup interrupted with a firm voice. "What's more important, your wine business or keeping our people safe? If I had to make a deal with a 17-year-old that makes all of us cringe, but if it gets us closer to ending this situation entirely, isn't it worth it? Maybe giving the kid a second chance will even teach him to choose wiser friends."

"You can't protect everyone, Hiccup." Horst replied calmly. "Second chances are good and gracious, but sometimes it's better to hang onto your fish before throwing it back into the water."

"We still have Frey and Cale." Hiccup watched the council tense at the mentions. A few people glanced at Snotlout, who made no comment. "Cale and Frey would be much more valuable to the gang, I think. I got information out of the talkative one and gave him back. We're going to end this one way or another, and if Evan is there when we catch them, then he'll get charged twice. I made myself very clear to him."

"So what's your plan then?" Tuffnut asked. "Can we still blow up their hideout when we find it?"

"I'd prefer to avoid fatalities, Tuff." Hiccup stood and paced around the table. "I want to triple the guard. Great Hall, fishery, forge, Academy, you name it, I want it covered. If anyone under the age of eighteen is outside after dark, I want their names. Any suspicious activity comes to me."

"Hiccup, we've been doing this," Horst sighed.

"And we're wearing the guards out. They need a break." Fishlegs agreed.

"I know," Hiccup sighed. "Which is why I'm taking shifts too."

Astrid frowned. "Hiccup-"

"No, I can't force people to do this and expect to rest myself. We're all working overtime if we want to end this. Anyone with children, teenagers especially, should stay home to make sure they're still home at night. Sorry, Astrid."

"So we're working overtime," Ruffnut said as she dug a knife into the table. "Are we just hoping that they'll be stupid enough to come out?"

Hiccup smirked. "I told Evan that we've cut back on night watches."

Snotlout snorted. "Oh ho ho, you are so sly."

"Yep."

"Wait," Tuffnut paused. "But you just told us to triple the watch." Hiccup nodded. "But if you told them there are less people watching and then they try to hit some place… oh."

"Exactly." Hiccup nodded. "Honestly, I didn't think it would be so easy to plant false information, but… well, Evan's not the sharpest knife in the drawer."

"No. No he is not." Manny huffed.

Hiccup faced him. "Give him a test, Manny. Or make him sharpen weapons for a week. Do whatever you want with him by way of punishment. I just told him he could keep his job. You make him pay for his mistakes in whatever way you want." Manny's face stretched into a sinister grin. "Just remember who his father is."

"Daddy can kiss my grits." Manford grumbled. "That kid's mine."

Hiccup snickered. Snotlout twisted in his chair. "What are you going to do with Frey and Cale?"

"We're going to hang onto them." Hiccup glanced at the ceiling when thunder boomed overhead. "Keep questioning, though I'm not sure if they'll give us anything."

"Cale won't," Snotlout huffed. "He's about immovable as a canyon wall."

"And Frey's fiercely loyal to him," Astrid agreed. "We could give them some hard labor for a few weeks as punishment. Maybe cleaning out the dragon stalls or scrubbing the Academy."

"Yeah, the Academy would be go-" Hiccup choked and froze.

Everyone stared at him in surprise. Astrid began to stand. "Hiccup?"

He turned to her with wide, grief-stricken eyes. "The Academy. I was supposed to meet Addie. Oh gods, I was supposed to meet her over an hour ago!"

"Go." Astrid shooed him. "Go find her, I'll finish here."

"Arghhhhh why me? Why me!" Hiccup muttered as he ran to the door. "Toothless, come on!" Man and dragon disappeared into the clearing sky.

Astrid sighed and plopped into her seat. She shook her head in annoyance, staring at the table. Ruffnut touched her shoulder. "Everything okay?"

"Adri finally asked him to do something with her. Their first daddy/daughter date in years." Astrid murmured. "And he missed it."

Everyone sighed or simpered. "It's all right," Astrid shook her head. "It wasn't your fault. It was the gang's. He just got distracted. We've got to catch them for a number of reasons. It' s interfering with everything."

* * *

Adrianna was a little bit early. She honestly couldn't help it; she was excited. Hiccup had seemed anxious to spend time with her which, in her experience, meant that he had something fun planned. Then again, Hiccup and Adrianna had been known for coming up with fun activities in seconds. They were no strangers to spontaneity.

Lily touched down in the Academy at five to three. To let out a bit of nervous energy, they did a few laps around the arena before landing, which made Adrianna feel rather dizzy. She wasn't sure how Hiccup and Toothless could spin around all day without feeling the need to sit down and rest for a moment.

"This was a good idea." she said as she sat against the Monstrous Nightmare's back. "We haven't done anything with our boys in ages."

She stared out at the wide arena with interest. A chalkboard was propped against the wall on one side and there were a few maps and benches all around the place. Most of the equipment was stored where the dragons used to be imprisoned. This left the arena wide open for drills and early flying lessons. Claw and burn marks covered the walls, making the girl wonder what it had been like when the arena was home to dragon killing exercises. She knew that there was leftover equipment from those days that had been changed into flying exercises and last resort dragon containment devices. But she certainly couldn't imagine being left to fend for herself with nothing but a shield with wild dragons shooting flames at her. She'd have been hopeless at it, probably more hopeless than Hiccup had been at first. Thank the gods those days were over because she knew there was no way she would be cut out for a life full of dragon raids and attacks and fighting lessons. Even watching Gobber's dragon dentistry made her feel a bit squeamish.

Was she really related to a man known for beheading a dragon shortly after birth? She looked over at a reflective object used to distract Terrors. Her distinctly feminine face stared back. Not a trace of Stoick the Vast anywhere, unless one was to count the features she shared with Hiccup. Those were quite a bit more obvious. Aside from almost identical eyes, she shared several subtle features which had once prompted Gobber to tell her that she and Hiccup could have been mistaken for twins had they grown up together. How ironic that she and her _actual_ twin didn't look even the tiniest bit similar.

It was a few minutes before she became uncomfortably aware that her father hadn't turned up. Adrianna scanned the sky with her eyes, seeking the familiar outline of the Night Fury and the Dragon Whisperer himself. But the sky remained cloudy and devoid of any dragon or dragon rider at all. Hiccup was late. The Haddock girl sighed and reached for the book in her satchel. Her father was an important man so it wouldn't be fair to blow up at him for showing up a few minutes later than expected. At the very least, he would send a Terror to let her know he was on his way.

The moment her eyes met the page, she was sucked into the world of the story. This was a particularly good one about people who could control the elements. Just as she was sympathizing with the poor cabbage merchant whose stands had been unceremoniously knocked over ( _again_ ), a raindrop landed on the parchment. The girl looked into the sky just as the rain picked up its pace. She shoved her book in her satchel and stood up quickly, knowing full well that this could turn into a torrential downpour at any given moment. Sure enough, the moment she and Lily were ready to take off, sheets of rain obscured their vision. Girl and dragon immediately rushed into an open cage filled with large pieces of equipment that made perfectly good seating for the time being.

The reality hit Adrianna a few minutes after she and Lily had taken shelter in the cage. It had to be at least four thirty and her father had neither showed up nor sent a Terror explaining his situation. Her heart clenched. Her father had _forgotten_ about her. There was no other explanation. It wasn't like Hiccup didn't usually show up where he was needed, no, he simply hadn't deemed their time together not important enough to remember.

At this point, she didn't even know what to feel anymore. A part of her wanted to cry but the tears wouldn't come. Another part wanted to track him down and scream at him for the whole village to hear. But she'd never have the nerve to do that if she was actually in the middle of the square. All she could do was tremble with a suppressed emotion she couldn't even place.

"Good _gods_!" came a voice just outside the cage.

Adrianna looked up just in time to see another teenager running in, a Changewing at his heels. He was soaking wet and comfortingly familiar.

"Brandyn?"

The boy looked up and gave Adrianna a lopsided smile. "And my day just got a lot better. Which isn't saying too much since the bloody _rain_ kind of spoiled it." he scowled at the outside as if to berate it for not acting the way he wanted it to act.

Adrianna shrugged. "Good for the... trees."

"Didn't know you were a tree hugger." Brandyn quipped, winking cheekily at her. "Actually," he added as he took in his surroundings, "what are you doing here? Weird time to be at the Academy."

"I'm... well, I _was_ meeting my dad here." Adrianna admitted, crossing her arms to warm herself up. "What about you?"

"I was flying and the heavens opened up and dumped freezing water on me." Brandyn shook his head in a disapproving manner, as if the weather had thrown a very noisy tantrum. "This was the closest shelter."

Syd flopped down on his stomach and rested his head in his claws. It seemed the rain would persist for a while longer if the dragons were making themselves comfortable.

"What an inconvenience, being trapped in here with you." Adrianna snarked.

"Worst day ever." Brandyn played along with a grin. "So why are you upset?"

"I'm not-"

"Come on, the anguish is written all over your face." Brandyn sat down next to her and stretched his arms wide in both directions. "It's so easy to read you, Nani."

"I don't know if that's a good or bad thing." Adrianna sighed, noticing that his left arm had now settled inches from her back. "It's no big deal though."

"Ahh, of course not. That's why you're in the arena at a weird time of day waiting for someone who hasn't shown up." Brandyn nodded and gave her a facetiously sympathetic glance.

"Okay so it _is_ a big deal." Adrianna huffed, balling her fists. "He said he'd come and he didn't. No note, nothing! What kind of dad does that?"

Brandyn looked down at his lap and went very silent. A moment later, he spoke up in a soft voice. "I guess... one who's still around to make those kinds of promises."

Guilt flooded the Haddock girl as if a dam in her heart had suddenly been opened wide. She didn't know anything about Brandyn's father. She'd met his mother plenty of times but neither of them had ever alluded to the idea that Brandyn had a second parent at all. She hadn't given this much thought but she was starting to sense that there was a story behind it and she was about to hear it.

"I'm sorry." she mumbled. "I didn't... I forgot..."

"Hey, it's fine." Brandyn lifted his head and smiled at her. "You didn't know. I just, well, I didn't know how to tell you, how to tell _anyone_ , really."

"About your dad?"

"Yeah." Brandyn sighed deeply.

Adrianna shook her head. "You don't have to tell me."

"I really like you, Nani." Brandyn's arm inched closer to her back. "You deserve to know."

Silence permeated the containment unit once more. Adrianna felt nervous, like she was about to learn something dangerous. Finally, Brandyn spoke up again.

"My father was a great man." he said in a voice wrought with emotion. "He and my mom weren't married but that didn't stop him from being active in my life. He'd come by often just to check up on me, train me in things he deemed important for me to learn. He was well respected in our tribe."

"So..." Adrianna dry swallowed, her heart thumping with dread over what she was about to hear. "What happened?"

"When I was seven, he and another man had a disagreement. He tried to settle it without violence but the man refused." Brandyn's voice shook with anger. "My father was murdered. And the man who killed him just walked away."

" _What_?" Adrianna gasped. "Why wasn't the man brought to justice?"

"I don't know." Brandyn hissed through his teeth. "Maybe he bought his way out of it. Or he's got friends in high places. Either way, one day I'm going to find him."

"What will you do then?" Adrianna asked, leaning forward.

Brandyn glanced sideways at her. "I don't know yet. I'm still sort of thinking about it."

"Well don't stoop to his level." Adrianna leaned in some more. "Killing him won't change anything."

"Oh, I'm not going to kill him." Brandyn smiled wistfully. "I wouldn't do that."

"He sounds ruthless." Adrianna gritted her teeth, anger surging within her. "What kind of man would kill someone in cold blood? A father, no less?"

"A coward." Brandyn pursed his lips. "That's all he was. A coward."

"Who was he, your father?" Adrianna was barely aware that she was now leaning against her friend in her eagerness to hear the rest of the story.

"His name was Dirk." Brandyn replied with a small smile. "Dirk the Daring. He was a dragon killer when he was my age but that was before your father met Toothless. Apparently he was really something. And he became an even better rider."

"Sounds like a great man." Adrianna smiled at him. "And he'd probably be proud of you."

"Oh I know he would." Brandyn agreed. "Mom says I remind her of him sometimes. Little things I do, I guess. Just like you, Nani. You and your dad are a lot alike."

"So I've heard." Adrianna said with a scowl.

"That's a _good_ thing." Brandyn nudged her shoulder. "You're both a bit too clever for your own good sometimes. And you kind of talk like him."

"Brilliant. We can argue using the same inflections." Adrianna grumbled.

Brandyn breathed a laugh. "That you can argue at all is a blessing. Don't take him for granted, Nani. I want to see you two make up. The closer you two get, the better I'll feel."

"Why's that?"

"Ehh," Brandyn shrugged, "I guess I like to see fathers bond with their kids. Makes me feel a bit closer to my dad."

"So you think I should make up with him." Adrianna sighed. "But he didn't show up."

"He's not perfect. But neither are you. I guess it's hereditary, now isn't it?" Brandyn nudged her more forcefully this time, making her giggle. "Come on, you know I'm right. I'm always right."

"Sure you are." Adrianna deadpanned.

"Always with the sarcasm." Brandyn rolled his eyes. "Must be a Haddock thing."

"Well you must be an honorary Haddock then." Adrianna stuck her tongue out at his jokingly outraged expression.

They were silent for a moment, merely enjoying the company of each other. But then something Brandyn had said before popped into the Haddock girl's mind.

"So... you really like me?" she mumbled bashfully, heat rising to her face.

Brandyn reached over and placed his arm around her shoulders. "Yes. I do." he whispered in her ear. "I like you a lot."

"You... you mean it?" Adrianna breathed, her heart pounding a tattoo against her chest.

"You're beautiful, smart, creative, sweet... what's not to like?" Brandyn's face was _very_ close to hers.

"Well you're in luck." Adrianna smiled shyly at him. "I like you too."

"Good." Brandyn rested his forehead against hers. "Otherwise what I'm about to do would be really weird."

"What..." Adrianna inhaled rapidly at the sensation of his hand resting on her cheek. "What are you about to do?"

" _This_."

The Anderson boy leaned in until their lips met. Adrianna's breath hitched in her throat. This... _this_ was a new sensation. She thought briefly that it was odd how the same act between two different people could feel so, well, _different_. Brandyn's lips moved against hers confidently, his head turned at exactly the right angle. He knew what he was doing. He knew what he wanted. There was something comforting about being the intended recipient of his affections. It felt like he had been planning this moment for a long time. Before she was fully aware of what she was doing, she leaned in to deepen the kiss. It was an incredible sensation, being kissed by the handsome boy who caught the eyes of the girls around town. To be noticed, to be cared about, to be _kissed_ by him, Adrianna could scarcely believe what was happening.

How long it was before they separated was anyone's guess. It could have been seconds or hours. Adrianna honestly didn't care. Her heart was beating so hard, she could scarcely breathe without its drumming interrupting her breaths. Brandyn stared at her, adoration in his eyes and his fingers still resting on her cheek.

"Wow." the girl breathed. "That was..."

"Good, I hope." Brandyn grinned.

To tell him it had been _good_ would have been a massive understatement. Adrianna nodded shakily.

Brandyn's dark blue eyes flitted to the arena. "Sun's out again." he whispered.

"We should, uhh... we should talk. About... this." Adrianna stammered.

"I can't think of a better way to spend the evening." Brandyn slowly stood up and reached his hand out. "Want to go for a walk?"

Adrianna nodded and allowed him to help her stand up. One of his hands wrapped around hers and she was instantly intrigued at how enveloped her hand was in his. His hands were _massive_ , much bigger than she'd been expecting. And he had to be at least a full foot taller than her. She'd have to stand on tiptoe to kiss him and even then, he'd have to bend down. There was something oddly romantic about that prospect and had Brandyn not started walking while holding her hand, she'd have stood rooted to the spot, contemplating these things until nightfall.

"Nani, this is the beginning of something amazing. I can feel it." Brandyn proclaimed cheerfully. "You are an incredible girl."

Adrianna felt like her voice had stopped working altogether but she nodded, her heart leaping with excitement. What had started out as a horrible day had taken a turn for the better, all right. And, for the first time in a long while, she couldn't wait to see what the future held for her as long as Brandyn was at her side.

* * *

Evan threw open Mildew's door and nearly knocked Morgan to the floor. She squealed in surprise at the sweaty, smelly boy hunched over, gasping for air.

Finn cocked his head in surprise. "Evan? Where's Cale and Frey? What took so long?"

"They're… they're in jail." Evan panted.

Morgan gasped. " _What_?"

The other teenagers went silent and Finn stiffened. "What?"

"It was your mom. She caught us at the winery."

"And you escaped?"

"Ye- well no. Your dad had us in jail, and then he took me aside for questioning, but I guess out of the goodness of his heart, he let me go."

Finn's eyes widened as Thorein jumped out of his chair. Finn ran to the door and slammed it shut. "What did you say to him? _WHAT DID YOU SAY!_ "

Erick watched as Thorein and Jackie checked out the few windows, presumably looking for guards coming to arrest them. For once he wished he'd brought Charger.

"I-I didn't!" Evan cried, jerking away from the Haddock heir. "I didn't tell him anything about us!"

"My father doesn't let people off the hook for nothing, he's too smart for that. He's a softie, but he doesn't hand out free tickets out of jail for _nothing!_ "

"All right all right, he asked who the leader was and where the hideout was, but I refused to answer those!" Evan cried. "He wouldn't let me go without answering a question, so I told him we had more than ten people, less than fifteen. I didn't give names, I didn't say genders. Nothing. That's all he got out of me."

"Yeah," Finn nodded patronizingly. "Until the cavalry shows up on the forest line because he probably sent people after you."

"Nobody followed me."

"Shut your trap, Evan." Finn muttered. "Everybody get out of here, buddy system. Erick, you're with me, newbie."

"Ah I prefer to be alone."

"That won't look suspicious?"

Erick gave him a flat look. "How often do you see me being social?"

Finn opened his mouth and then bobbed his head to the side in agreement. "Fine then. Remember what I told you-"

"Keep moving, don't look back, stay strong, yada yada. I'll be fine." Erick pushed out the door and jogged toward the trees. He kept moving and didn't look back. What he found in the village was interesting—villagers milling about, all discussing the latest arrest.

People sounded hopeful. Maybe the raids and vandalism would stop? Maybe they were the only ones attacking? Maybe it wasn't a gang at all? For a moment, Erick felt guilty that he was a wolf wearing sheep's clothing, and he was right in the pasture. Whose home and property and well-being would he be told to attack? Whose life was he about to make difficult?

He shook his head and reminded himself of Finn's words. "Keep moving. Don't look back. Stay strong. That's the only way to survive." He didn't have to fake a smile or pretend to be happy—he wasn't after all. Nobody would be questioning him, not as a suspect or to ask his opinion. Nobody noticed him pushing through the crowd, boots sliding in the mud, and feeling just as alone as ever.


	11. The Strategist

Hiccup traipsed back to the house with a heavy heart. A part of him wanted to punch another wall or tree but he held back the urge as best he could. Now wasn't the time for angry outbursts. He was already dreading what he'd find when he got there but he knew one thing: it wouldn't be pretty.

His moment of shame would have to wait, apparently. Adrianna either wasn't home or hadn't bothered to light any of the lanterns in the main room. Her bedroom windows faced the back of the house so he couldn't tell if she was there or not just by looking at the front.

He hopped off his dragon and reached out to open the door when his hand faltered over the handle. Toothless made a concerned cooing noise at his human's rigid form.

"I don't know what to do, Bud." Hiccup mumbled morosely. "I really messed up this time." He let his hand fall to his side as his head drooped.

Toothless gently pushed his snout beneath Hiccup's fingers. Hiccup halfheartedly patted him, feeling the tiniest bit of relief. There was something comforting about a dragon's affection when he was feeling particularly miserable. A tiny spark of anger ignited within him and he stomped down the front steps, choosing instead to pace in front of the house.

"I was stupid!" he said emphatically to the dragon, who was watching his movements with interest. "When you make a promise to be somewhere, you're supposed to show up! I'm the chief of the Hooligans, you'd think I'd have this down by now!"

Hiccup's pacing was getting more rapid, his arms gesturing wildly around his head. Toothless's head moved back and forth so he could watch his rider's every move.

"But when it concerns my own _daughter_ , my whole brain seems to shut off! It's like the universe doesn't want her and me to reconcile... _ever_!" Hiccup grabbed fistfuls of his hair as he paced, his breathing quite audible as he began to wear himself out. "She can only handle so much rejection, Bud. She's just a kid, really. Barely younger than I was when you and I met and you know what a basket-case I was then!"

Toothless made a face at his human before pushing through the front door and disappearing into the house.

"Great, even my dragon is sick of me." Hiccup mumbled under his breath before following the Night Fury into the house. "Toothless, what are you- would you hold still?"

The dragon snuffled irritably at Hiccup before leaping up the stairs. Before Hiccup could catch him, he had bounded down the hallway to Adrianna's bedroom and roared at the door.

"Stop!" Hiccup scampered over to his dragon and tried to get between him and the door. "She's probably not even..."

The door opened and a still fully dressed Adrianna stood in the doorway, staring between her father and his dragon with confusion.

"...home." Hiccup finished lamely. He straightened up and turned around to face his daughter. "Hi."

Adrianna's eyebrows raised the tiniest fraction. "Hi."

It was odd how flustered Hiccup felt at being faced with one of his own family members. After all, he'd changed this girl's diapers once! One would think making conversation would be the least of his worries. But familial relationships are never as simple as they seem. Hiccup and Adrianna were certainly learning _that_ the hard way.

The father's resolve finally broke. "Gods, Adrianna, I am _so_ sorry!" he exclaimed almost mournfully. "We caught a couple people trying to steal from the winery and you know we've been looking for those responsible for all the vand-"

"It's okay." Adrianna interrupted.

Hiccup froze mid syllable and stared his daughter. Did she really just brush it aside as if he'd merely forgotten to take out the garbage? He knew she could be forgiving but even he would have been upset if he'd been in her situation.

"Uhh... what?"

"It's fine. I found something else to do anyway." Adrianna said with a shrug.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "You know, it's okay to be upset. I broke my promise."

"Do you want me to be upset?"

"No! Well.. _no_... I..." Hiccup took a deep breath to try to organize his thoughts. "I just thought you would be."

"Well, I'm not." Adrianna gave him a halfhearted smile. "Things happen. I won't try to waste any more of your time."

"No, no!" Hiccup exclaimed, throwing a hand out to keep the girl from shutting her door. "I really do want to spend time with you! It's important to me!"

"I can tell." Adrianna deadpanned in a _very_ familiar fashion that would have amused Hiccup had he not been emotionally compromised.

"Look, things... come up." It was a dreadful excuse and Hiccup knew it but he pressed on. "I would rather have spent the day with you. I mean it."

"Okay so we'll reschedule once everything dies down." Adrianna nodded, halfhearted smile still plastered to her face.

"Ah... I'm not sure that'll be any time soon." Hiccup sighed and withdrew his hand from the door. "But I'll try. I'll give you as much time as I can."

"Okay." Adrianna shrugged again. "Well... I want to get back to my book. Night, Dad."

The door shut before Hiccup had a chance to respond. "Right..." he hung his head. "Night, Addie."

* * *

Despite his growing weariness, Hiccup felt alert. Gazing across the filled Great Hall during the busiest time of the morning, the breakfast hour, he made a few mental notes. It pleased him to see the various council members mingling, as per usual, but he knew otherwise—they too were keeping their eyes and ears open. They were just as compelled as him to catch the gang members as soon as possible.

Astrid caught his eye from across the room, pausing in her conversation with Heather to give him a warm smile. He smiled back and watched her focus back on Heather. Still they hadn't had any free time to spend together alone. He felt horrible about that. The more time that passed since she first mentioned it, the more the thought nagged at him. But he couldn't just drop his duties. His wife was definitely a top priority, but sadly catching the gang, along with his other chiefly duties, had to take precedence.

Hiccup could barely remember crashing face first into his pillow last night. Or rather, early morning. As promised, he took the first night watch with Fishlegs. Astrid poked him awake around seven for his first morning meeting, to which he could barely haul himself out of bed. He was running himself into the ground and he knew it, but if anything "exciting" happened on a night watch, he wanted to be the first at the scene. But one look in the mirror told him just how much of a zombie he was turning into. Thank Thor for coffee.

As if on cue, a solid poke on the shoulder snapped him out of his daze. "You look tired."

The chief glanced at Snotlout and sighed. "That's an understatement."

"You and Astrid need a vacay. Pronto."

Hiccup chuckled. "Another understatement."

"As soon as this gang nonsense is behind us, we're shipping you two off." Snotlout straightened. "No kids, no responsibilities, all that jazz."

"Thanks but even when we do catch them, we have to go through the trials and _all that jazz_." Hiccup sighed wearily. "The thought's nice though."

Snotlout snorted. "Astrid's going to corner you one of these days, and she isn't going to let you say no."

Hiccup fought a smirk but managed to reply, "She knows I'm busy."

"And soon enough she's going to be fed up and will start occupying you with other-"

"Okay okay!" Hiccup waved his hands frantically. "There are kids nearby, sheesh."

Snotlout shrugged. "Their fault for eavesdropping."

Hiccup dropped his forehead into his palm. Some things never change.

"Looks like Larson's made a friend."

The chief followed his friend's line of sight and his eyebrows shot up in surprise. While he was pleased that Erick seemed to be mingling and branching out, he wasn't entirely sure Finn was the best choice. Not that Hiccup had any serious qualms with Erick hanging out with his son, but Finn and Erick were polar opposites. Finn was loud and obnoxious, proud and disrespectful to authority most of the time. Erick was typically quiet yet calculating, said his piece when he felt the need. He was creative and a pacifist in a way, much like himself. Erick wasn't one to bring out the fists if there was a disagreement. Finn craved those opportunities.

"Hm." Hiccup hummed noncommittally.

"Kinda weird."

Hiccup shrugged. "At least he's sitting with someone."

"At least he's eating, more like." Snotlout shook his head. "I'm not typically one to worry about other people's kids, but he's a nice guy. I hate to see him fend for himself."

"Yeah. Lara's a piece of work sometimes." Hiccup glanced at the woman from the other side of the room, chatting with a few other ladies. "I had wanted to talk to him on a more frequent basis after the accident. But I've-" Hiccup winced. He didn't want to make excuses.

"I gotcha. He'll probably be fine, mingling is the first step to getting better."

"With Finn…?" Hiccup asked.

"Don't be so pessimistic!" Snotlout punched his shoulder. "At least he's out of the house. In public. At a table with teenagers, popular teenagers!"

Hiccup blinked, looking back at the table. He looked just in time to see a girl named Jackie sit beside Erick, who was across from Finn. His son and the girl exchanged a few quick words before the girl stood and marched to another table. Neither teen looked upset nor agitated at all; but clearly Finn had told her to leave. Erick had watched the exchange with a bland expression as he picked at his food, favoring his left hand more than his right. Hiccup curiously noted his wrapped forearms, but made no comment to Snotlout on the matter.

"Keep an eye on those two." Hiccup finally said.

"Two? Not Erick?"

"Well… yes. I don't want to assume he's _not_ involved. I just don't distrust him like…" Hiccup faltered, struggling for words.

Snotlout lowered his voice. "Do you suspect Finn?"

"…I can't rule him out."

"What about Adrianna?"

Hiccup looked across the room at his daughter, sitting side by side with Brandyn and talking with Taryn. Adrianna had her hair in a loose braid today and wore a leather headband, similar to what Astrid wore when they were teenagers. She laughed at something Taryn said and nudged Brandyn with her shoulder.

He finally shook his head. "I would be shell shocked if she was part of it. It's just not… her."

"I agree." Snotlout nodded. "I mean, still we probably can't rule anyone out, but I would be just as shocked."

"It would be nice if we could narrow it down to just a few, but there are dozens of teenagers on Berk." Hiccup sighed.

"It would be nicer if that retard brother-in-law of mine would just spill the beans and save us the trouble."

"Now that I could drink to."

"Whoaaaa, you? _Drink_? Really?" Snotlout gasped. "If we get Cale to spill, ale's on _you_."

Hiccup smirked. "Done, but he won't."

"Oh we'll see about that." Snotlout marched away.

"Hey!" Snotlout turned to catch Hiccup's warning glance. "No torture."

Snotlout pouted and pinched his thumb and forefinger together. "Just a little?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No!"

"I'll bring you the best wine in the Archipelago! Gobber's specialty!"

"You already bring the whine, Snotlout."

"Heh?"

"I said you- agh, you know what? Forget it." Hiccup waved him off. "Shoo fly, I got stuff to do."

"Shoo fly _you_!"

Hiccup snickered as he walked away, swiping a glass of juice from a tray as he went. He wasn't sure if spiking his blood sugar on orange juice was a better remedy to fix grogginess than caffeine, but he decided he didn't care. After downing the juice and sliding the empty glass toward the bartender, he whistled for Toothless and headed toward the doors. He smiled at a few children that charged past him, chasing a Terrible Terror. Just before reaching the doors, he caught sight of Finn and Erick deep in conversation. Something didn't sit right about the strange interaction. But without a good reason to butt in now, he decided to log away the information for a more suitable time, if the time came.

* * *

"That was really stupid."

"What? Her coming over here or me sending her away?"

"Both." Erick griped, chopping a sausage just to occupy himself. "She was stupid to come over here because we know we're probably being watched, but you sending her away probably made it worse."

Finn shrugged indifferently. "Maybe. Ten bucks says my dad didn't even notice."

"Oh he noticed, one way or another." Erick dropped his fork with a loud klink and rubbed his eyes. "I honestly don't know how you've made it this long."

"My old man's not as quick as people make him out to be."

"No, your old man's _better_ than that." Erick replied. "He's got every square inch of this island crawling with soldiers."

"Evan said they're cutting back."

Erick shook his head. "I'm not buying that for a second. Hiccup would plant a twisted lie like that."

"So we can't see the guard," Finn waved a hand. "It's more challenging that way."

"Suicide!" Erick hissed.

Finn snickered. "You are really worked up about this. It's actually quite entertaining."

"And you are so… so gung ho about it that one more slip up like _that_ will have all of us behind bars." Erick shot back. "This isn't child's play anymore!"

"Yes, I'm aware. Freaking out about it is surely going to catch their attention though, so _relax_." Finn pressed. "Really, chillax. Anyway, you're the smart one. What should we do next?"

"Well first, if we're smart, we'll stop meeting for a few days at least. Since they caught Cale and the guys yesterday, Hiccup's going to be like Toothless ready to nab a cod at any given time. We have to lie low." Erick pulled out his pocket knife and began shaving wood off the table edge. "Second, we shouldn't talk to Evan. They'll be watching him closely."

"I was thinking the same thing. If he comes to us, we boot him."

"More like the cold shoulder," Erick argued. "Avoid him completely."

"I think that's the first time I've heard you condone that attitude."

"Hey, I don't want to go to jail just because I joined _yesterday_ and he's an idiot." Erick hissed. Another wood shaving landed at his feet. "Third," He looked up at Finn through his bangs. "We're wearing masks from now on."

Finn huffed. "I was trying to avoid that."

"What? Why?"

"Because it's evidence!" Finn frowned. "Besides, it's a better thrill when your face is exposed."

"Do you want your mom's axe thrown full force at _you_? I don't!"

"Uh this is my mom we're talking about. She'd throw it either way."

"While this is true, if they had gotten away, she knew who they were because they were exposed." Erick argued. "I'm getting us masks."

Finn blew air past his lips. "Fine."

"Fourth-"

"Fourth? How much did you plan?"

"You wanted a strategist, you got one. So shut up and listen."

"No wait," Finn interrupted again, clearly enjoying Erick's frustration. "When did you have time for all this?"

Erick rolled his eyes. "I _think_ , Finn. I actually use my brain. Plus I didn't sleep much so I pretty much thought all night."

Finn nodded in approval. "Dedicated."

"Thorough." Erick narrowed his eyes. "Just goes to show how many things I found to improve in the little time I was with you guys. Hm?"

Finn scowled. "Fourth?"

Erick hid a smirk. "Since we won't be meeting in person for a while, I figured we could still message each other. I'll go to the council's Terror Center-"

"Ugh the messaging center?"

"Think about it: I take a few Terrors and tell them where to go. They know every inch of the island, who everyone is, and they're trained to burn messages after delivered and read. We could still communicate without being exposed."

Finn thought for a few seconds in silence. Then Erick noticed him staring at Helga, who was standing across the room. Erick snapped his fingers in front of Finn's eyes, making the other boy jump. "Yeah. That works."

Erick looked at him flatly. Seriously, _how_ had this kid not been caught yet? He sighed heavily. "Right. I'll try to take care of that today sometime."

"During the day?" Finn asked, still watching Helga from afar, but seemingly paying attention to the conversation.

"I've got nothing else to do. I can practice my stealth skills."

"Good luck, blondie."

Erick frowned, biting his tongue. Sure the blond hair was bright and easy to see, but at least he wasn't a big six-foot galoot whose bright _red_ hair could be spotted from the moon. But he assumed said big six-foot galoot would not appreciate such terminology directed towards him. He wanted Finn's attention for this wide-open, in the middle of the Great Hall, conversation (at the busiest time of the day, no less), but he probably didn't want his attention in _that_ way.

Or maybe… Erick thought harder. He'd noticed Hiccup and Snotlout watching them a few minutes ago. He _knew_ it was suspicious. Finn had insisted on meeting here in the Great Hall while it was busy so it would look less suspicious if they were talking in some secluded location. While the thought held some merit, Erick and Finn weren't exactly "bruhs," as Cliff would put it. Hiccup's suspicions were high on everyone right now, he was sure of it. So meeting out in the open like buddy-buddies? Probably not a good idea.

But if he could somehow upset Finn in some way, mildly of course, he'd probably get angry and stalk away like a small version of Stoick the Vast. He really didn't want Finn to make a scene though, so it would have to be subtle. Either way, if he made it obvious that he and Finn _weren't_ on the best of terms, maybe he'd throw some suspicion off of himself a bit.

What? At the end of the day, if they were all running from the guard to avoid capture, it was every man for himself in Erick's mind.

Erick blinked out of his trance. The idea of actually running, or flying on Charger, away from Hiccup and the council… yikes, it was actually a scary thought. Was he a criminal now? Technically he'd only associated with the group thus far. He hadn't done anything wrong, even if he was making "strategies". Finn acted like these were gold mines in comparison to their past "work". Erick didn't think he was being that impressive. These ideas were merely the first things he'd thought of. He figured they were no-brainers!

The 16-year-old thought about Cale and Frey, currently sitting in jail. While Erick had already said they needed to lie low, he thought about the gang's past hits. Most were attacks on homes or businesses. What if they took it a step further? What if they struck the iron while it was hot? What if they really _could_ fool the chief and the guard and the village?

A thrilling sensation swooped through Erick as a plan formed in his mind. He realized just how much trouble he would be in if the plan failed. He realized how bad it would reflect on the Berk Guard and Hiccup if they succeeded.

 _If_ they got caught. _If_ they succeeded. Such a little word, so much interpretation. Suddenly, Erick felt the challenge. He didn't just have the idea, he couldn't wait to put it into action! He didn't want to lie low for a few days. He wanted to move.

But first, Finn was still ogling Helga. He didn't seem to notice the silence or Erick's sudden spiked interest in criminal activity.

"So what about Cale and Frey?" Erick lightly broke the silence.

"Hm…" Finn hummed. Finally he looked back at Erick like he was a thousand times less gorgeous than Helga, which he probably was. "What about them?"

"I have a thought." Erick smirked, which got Finn's full attention. Erick quietly told him his plan. He watched Finn's face morph into masked eagerness. Clearly the other teen was trying his hardest to hide his excitement.

"It should only be me and the girls who pull it off though."

"Oh come on-"

"Finn, they're going to check up on you!" Erick frowned. "If you want to go, fine, don't listen to my advice. You're the _boss_. But Hiccup's watching you too."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Whatever. It's a good plan. Where are they going to go though?"

"Mildew's. If they don't know about the hideout yet, then they can hide there. Afterward though, we _will_ have to lie low."

"Probably. Oh my old man's gonna hate this." Finn noted with glee.

"For sure. I'll get the Terrors as soon as I leave here and then I'll start gathering what we need. It shouldn't be difficult."

Finn raised an eyebrow. "Suddenly you're so interested."

Erick shrugged. "It's a good plan."

"Which could easily go wrong."

"Since when are you worried?"

Finn laughed. "I'm not! But the first one's always the hardest."

"I'll be fine."

"Yes, I know." Finn straightened like a weekly meeting was finally closed. "Well I-"

"Wait, one more thing." Erick interrupted, leaning forward.

Finn huffed. "What now?"

"Why do you hate your dad so much?"

Instantly, Finn's face darkened. He worked his jaw for a moment, then muttered, "A lot of reasons."

"Is it worth all this trouble?"

"Yes." Finn growled lowly. "Every second of grief he gets from the things I cause are practically music to my ears. Now he'll know what it feels like."

Erick ignored most of the questions floating through his mind, except one. "What what feels like?"

"Being. Alone." Finn said through gritted teeth. Erick almost felt like his anger was being directed toward him. "Feeling… grief and anger at yourself for things that you can't fix when you know it's someone _else_ causing the problems. Time doesn't heal all wounds like every adult will tell you. You know what I'm talking about."

He did. Oh, he understood all right. Erick still couldn't sleep at night without thinking about his father and sister. While he tried to find it in his heart to let go of his anger toward Adrianna for his father's death, Aud's… Aud's was _his_ fault. He couldn't necessarily relate to Finn on every level, but they shared a connection.

"But holding onto bitterness isn't always better either." Erick countered, feigning casual. "It wasn't your dad's fault-"

"Don't. Even. Go there." Finn hissed. "Just because you're all goody-two-shoes with my father and he treats you differently doesn't mean anything."

"What?" Erick blinked.

"Oh come on, he's always had a happy relationship with you, while I've always been the bane of his existence. I got sick of trying years ago, long before B-" Finn stopped abruptly. "Rune."

Erick almost couldn't breathe. So many things just happened in a few short sentences. There were a few things Finn _never_ mentioned: Benen and what happened on Rune. But he almost seemed to be jealous of Erick and his mild relationship with Hiccup! His goal was just to upset Finn a little so they didn't look suspicious to anyone watching them. He didn't want to bring out the green-eyed monster! Still…

"Your dad and I don't even talk that often." Erick replied carefully. "And I don't… ah. I don't want… to say things to upset you on purpose. Really." Erick felt a twinge of guilt, given his reasoning for starting this whole conversation. For this though, he really _didn't_ want to upset him. "But I think he tries… and you don't give him much of a chanc-"

"No?" Finn asked. "He's gotten plenty of chances and he screwed them all up. The second my dad finds out about _your_ mistakes," Erick froze when Finn deliberately looked down at his wrapped wrists. "Let's see how buddy-buddy with you he stays. Enjoy the friendship now because you can bet anything he can be quite choosy once the demons come out."

Erick swallowed thickly. _He knows. How does Finn know? Is it THAT obvious?_

Finn abruptly stood. "Get the Terrors. Send me a note by noon." And with that, he stalked off, like the predictable little version of Stoick the Vast he was.

Erick should have felt a rush of satisfaction that his little plan worked. He hoped any guards watching them weren't interested in him now. But instead he felt hollow and empty inside. He never knew that Finn was bitter and angry toward him about Hiccup. Really, Hiccup was too busy to worry about him much. Hiccup _had_ gone out of his way after Aud's funeral to come talk to him. But it wasn't like Hiccup had given Finn no sympathy for Benen's death. He remembered Hiccup's strong grief after the old man died. How could Finn assume that Hiccup cared more about him than his own son? Where was the basis for it?

As he stood and dropped his plate into the dirty dishes bin, Erick couldn't rid himself of the sick feeling that he'd just made an enemy. He knew working with the gang was going to cost him in some way; he just didn't realize it would come from this angle.

* * *

"Chief! HEY!"

Hiccup turned around just in time to see Brandyn running toward him at a breakneck pace. His eyebrows shot upward as the boy stopped in front of him, hardly breaking a sweat. The chief couldn't help but be slightly impressed that the Anderson boy was in such good shape.

"Gods, tracking you down isn't easy. You're all over the place!" Brandyn shook his head before continuing. "Can I have a word? Just for a minute, I'm not like planning to take all day or anything."

"Uhh..." Hiccup made eye contact with Snotlout, who shrugged. "Sure. Mind if we talk in the food storage? Only place we'll get any semblance of privacy in the middle of town other than Gobber's outhouse."

"Ahh yeah, I'll take the storage." Brandyn chortled, following the slightly shorter man into the storage shed and securing the door behind him.

"So what can I do you for?" Hiccup asked, sitting down on a nearby chair and gesturing Brandyn to sit across from him.

"Ah, if you don't mind, I'd rather be standing up for this." Brandyn said almost nervously.

"I'd join you but I've got to rest this leg as much as I can with all the craziness going on." Hiccup suddenly leaned forward. "Actually, before you get to what you're about to say, do you know _anything_ about this gang thing going on? Any little bit of information helps."

"Well I was with Nani for a couple of the times they struck so I'm not involved, you know that." Brandyn shook his head. "But no. I don't know anything. Sorry, I'll keep my eyes and ears peeled for you if it helps."

"It does, thank you." Hiccup leaned back in the chair. "So..."

"Yeah, my thing." Brandyn crossed his arms and leaned against the wall of the shed, pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts. "Well... you know, I don't think I've ever done this before but hey, first time for everything."

"Done... what?"

"Ahh sorry, I'm not so good at this." Brandyn smiled in an apologetic fashion. "Well, see, you know how Nani is."

"Well yes, I am familiar with her." Hiccup smirked at Brandyn's obvious sheepishness. "You do tend to be familiar with your own children. Comes from raising them since birth."

"Sorry, yeah, I figured you probably knew her pretty well." Brandyn said through a wide grin. "Well I'm still getting to know her and you know... I like it. Well, you know, _her._ She's a special girl. Pretty, creative, smart, funny, she's the whole package, you know? Well no, I guess not, I mean you are her _dad_ so it'd be kind of creepy if you did know that in more than just a general sense."

"Any man would be lucky to have her." Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "Is that what you're implying? Because I've known that since she was a toddler."

"Pretty much." Brandyn nodded. "I guess I'm asking if it would be all right, sir, to pursue her in a romantic sense rather than the admittedly enjoyable platonic relationship we've had."

"Are you asking me if it's okay to _date_ my daughter?" Hiccup didn't even notice he'd stood up until he found himself upright and staring up at the gigantic teenager in front of him.

"That would be exactly what I'm asking." Brandyn replied, straightening up at the sight of his potential girlfriend's father so stiff at the idea. "I didn't think it would be appropriate to pursue her without your blessing. You're such an important part of her life and I wouldn't want you to feel like you needed to come between us."

Hiccup was taken slightly aback. He honestly hadn't thought Brandyn was that traditional. Most young men didn't ask permission from their potential girlfriend's father before pursuing them. Finn certainly hadn't had any similar conversation with Fishlegs, that was for sure. The Haddock patriarch thought back, recalling the brightened expression on his daughter's face when Brandyn was around, the amount of times he'd heard her laughing because of something that the Anderson boy had said. Whether or not it was a match made in Asgard remained to be seen but he liked Brandyn and it was clear Brandyn respected him.

"Treat her well." Hiccup said at last with a heavy sigh. "She deserves the world."

"Not sure I can give her that." Brandyn admitted. "But I promise I will treat her right." there was a long, very awkward pause as the two men intentionally looked everywhere except at each other. Finally Brandyn locked eyes on Hiccup again. "So... is that a yes?"

"Yes."

Brandyn's eyes were suddenly alight with excitement. "You have no idea how happy you've made me!" he exclaimed, grabbing Hiccup's hand in his and shaking it vigorously.

"Don't make me regret this, Brandyn." Hiccup said, his eyes boring into the boy's.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Brandyn replied instantly. "I intend to treat her like a princess."

"Good because she kind of is one." Hiccup nodded once to the teen. "Sorry, but if that's all, I do have a lot to do right now..."

"Say no more." Brandyn said cheerfully, opening the door to allow the chief to exit the storage first.

* * *

Finn pulled Helga along through the streets, ignoring her questions. He just kept giving her a smile over his shoulder and walking faster. After that long, boring conversation with Erick and watching her from across the Hall for the last hour, Finn decided he was tired of talking. Finally, he spied a cracked open barn door and pulled Helga inside.

Helga giggled when he pulled the door shut. "What's gotten into you?"

"Shush." Finn shoved her against the door and pressed his mouth against hers. Helga laughed and pulled him closer. Finn slid his hands up her waist, moving his mouth fast and hot against hers. Burying his hands in her hair, which smelled of honeysuckle, he mouthed her neck down to her collarbone, ignoring her laughs at how much it tickled.

"F-Finn, what-"

"Would you shut up and just kiss me?" Finn asked raggedly. "Do you _need_ a reason?"

Helga suddenly smirked. "No." Pulling him flush against her, she grabbed his face and kissed him hard. Finn pressed her back into the wall, forcing himself to forget about everything else and focus on her. She yanked his hair, forcing his neck to bend so she could kiss his jaw. He panted in her ear, willing himself to slow down a little. He might be taking advantage of her just a little, but... well, he didn't want to go too far.

"You're pretty worked up," Helga murmured in his ear.

Finn breathed a laugh and squeezed her waist. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Of course not." Helga kissed his mouth and nibbled his lip. "What I'm wondering… is why you're holding back?"

Finn grabbed her hands and pushed them against the wall above her head. Helga yelped when he kissed her again, his tongue searching her mouth. Helga moaned breathlessly, squirming against the wall. She gasped and tilted her head up against the wall as mouthed down her throat. She pulled against his hands, panting when his mouth trailed against the edge of her shirt. He reveled in the frantic sounds of her wanting to put her hands all over him and she couldn't. This was perhaps the only kind of power that made him think twice, but because their parents wouldn't approve, he didn't stop.

Finally he let her hands slip and she tackled him. They stumbled for a few feet until his knees hit a hay bale, and she climbed on top of him when he landed on his back. Finn trailed his hands down her back down to her thighs, moaning loudly when her teeth scraped his neck and lips recaptured his mouth. He heard the slight tear of material when he realized she was trying to pull his shirt off. He attacked her throat as he sat up and allowed her to pull it over his head. Somehow the sensation of her skin against his chest and stomach drove him even crazier.

Grabbing her thigh, he flipped them so he pinned her down. Helga squealed into his mouth and laughed out loud when he kissed her neck. He wasn't sure why that tickled so much, but any sounds she made while kissing her was amazing. He kissed her harder as she clawed at his back.

"F… F-Finn! Y-you're gonna… ahhh… g-give me hickey!"

"Good. Let them see it." Finn moaned before recapturing his lips and slowing down a little. He knew he was jerking her around and knew she liked the slow, hot kisses. Helga relaxed beneath him and sighed heatedly against his mouth. She brushed her fingers through his hair until finally her left fingers brushed against his temple, and she pulled away from his swollen lips with a loud pop.

"Did you burn yourself?" She asked, trying to catch her breath.

Finn blinked at her in confusion, his mind a blur. "What?"

"There's a big rough burn scar right here." Helga began to pull his hair away to look when Finn's eyes snapped open in realization.

"NO!"

Helga recoiled as he quickly stood, scrambling away from her. Finn stared down at her in shock, catching his breath. He finally sighed and shook his head. "S-sorry… It's nothing."

Not thirty seconds ago, things were going great. Her disheveled appearance should have filled him with pride. But suddenly, a door had been opened that he'd promised to never open. Of course his past would come to haunt him even now, when he was trying to stifle his emotions from earlier. Such a killjoy.

His girlfriend finally sat up and straightened her shirt, a look of confusion wrinkling her face. "What is it?"

"I told you, it's nothing." Finn replied defensively.

Helga sighed. "I'm not… Why do you do that?"

"What?"

"You're all about making out with me, but the second I get anywhere close to talking about things in a serious way, or if I accidentally stumble upon something that you don't like, you get defensive."

"I'm not getting defensive!" Finn growled. Helga made a face. "Urgh, not before! I said it was nothing, you're the one who won't let it go."

"I just asked what it was, that's all! I've never seen it before-"

"Why do you think? Because I don't WANT you to see it!"

Helga blinked. "You make it sound like it's something to hide."

"Because I don't- some things I don't feel like advertising!" Finn waved his hands around. "I can have secrets without you forcing me to tell you everything, just because you have this… this idea that sharing is caring!"

"So we can share spit, but not important things?"

"Why is _this_ so important? Why do I _need_ to share it with you?"

"It's important because you're making it important!" Helga cried. "You're the one making it a big secret! But after all this time, I'd like to think you trusted me enough to share!"

"I don't WANT to share it with you! I haven't talked to anyone about this since Ben-" Finn froze and Helga's eyes widened.

"Finn-"

"No. You know what, forget it." Finn snatched his shirt off the ground and yanked it back on.

Helga followed him to the door. "If it's about that stuff, I'm sorry! I'm not... I don't want to force you to talk about stuff if you're not ready. But real couples trust each other with information-"

"Not THAT information!" Finn bellowed. Helga backed against the wall as he approached her. "I would give ANYTHING to bury all of that into the depths of the earth and never have to look at it again! And you just want to turn everything into some… frilly happy conversation about trust! Sorry if I don't operate that way!"

"Okay…" Helga replied meekly. Finn vaguely wondered why she was being so quiet. Usually she'd tell him straight when he was being ridiculous. But something seemed to have changed in the last few minutes. She almost looked at him like she was… afraid of him. "I won't bring it up again."

Finn's ire cooled to a simmer. He was still furious, but he didn't think of himself as scary. Helga looked down at her boots awkwardly. "Good." She flinched at his response, but before he'd allow himself to feel bad or look into her blue eyes again, he turned and shoved the door open.

Stalking into the late morning sun, he grabbed a nearby axe and stalked into the woods. He trudged past large oaks and elms for a while until he found a secluded clearing. Choosing a medium-sized oak, he angrily slammed the blade into the tough wood until his muscles ached, his hands bloomed with new blisters, and finally the tree creaked to one side.

It toppled to the ground with a mighty crash, sending birds and other woodland animals chattering into the air and forest. Finn growled loudly and slammed the axe into the ground beyond his feet. He slid to the ground and caught his breath, willing himself to calm down.

So many things angered him, and today, _everyone_ seemed to be pushing his buttons. His dad watching him like a hawk, while deserved considering the circumstances, was still annoying. He had this weird paradox in his head that even though he was guilty, how dare his father not trust him? He should totally trust him, like he trusted Adrianna, like he trusted his council, like he trusted _Erick_ , who was just another problem.

Precious Erick who got to be babied for all the problems he'd been through the past few years, while Finn got overlooked because he was the chief's son, who got pressured to be in the villagers' and councils' good graces but couldn't hold a civil conversation to save his life. Quiet, misunderstood Erick who was unloved by everyone and seemed to be taking his problems to a whole new level, but he'd surely get sympathy the moment his parents found out. But him? What did he get? Speeches and lectures about how he should act a certain way and not act other ways.

And Helga, who wanted to be open and helpful about all the problems she could only guess he was having, because he was being righteously stubborn about not revealing. She wanted a complete, full-circle relationship where they shared things and talked about their problems and worked through them together as a _team_. What did she think this was? A ticket to marriage? They were teenagers! Sure, a couple more minutes of that heated making out and he probably would've been tempted to make her scream his name, but did that honestly mean he wanted to share every one of his deep dark secrets with her just because they were an item? Did he want to know all of _her_ deep dark secrets, assuming she had any?

She'd never had a day of struggle in her life! She didn't take off from home when she was seven, because her parents were fighting. Her mom was a nut job sometimes, but her parents worked together like bread and butter. She didn't get sold into slavery or get branded like a cow to be sold. She was never beaten to a pulp because she didn't scrub a floor properly. What did _she_ know?

Finally, the one he hated most out of everyone: himself. Twice today, both with Erick and Helga, he'd slipped and nearly said Benen's name or mentioned Rune. Twice. He hadn't slipped up like that in ages, let alone twice in one day! What was wrong with him? That right there was the heart of all his pain and suffering, and with every ounce of strength he had, he barricaded those feelings inside, unwilling to let them out. But suddenly Erick asks one question about why he's so upset with his chiefly father, suddenly the ball of grief and anger begins to unravel and EVERYTHING had to come out? This was pathetic!

Finn realized with disgust that tears were running down his face. He roughly wiped his face off with his shirt and snatched the axe out of the ground, which took an extra pull. He huffed angrily and marched away, not caring which direction he was going.

Except from the corner of his eye, he saw a large black shape leap out of the bushes. Finn instinctively ducked, but the large creature still tackled him to the ground.

"GAH! Toothless, get off of me! No, stop it! Urghhhhh…" Finn squirmed from beneath his father's dragon, trying to escape the slathering wet tongue. Toothless laughed at his plight before finally allowing him to get up. "Ughhh you're so gross, you know that?"

Toothless warbled in his face. Finn swatted his nose away and scowled. "What are you doing here anyway?" The Night Fury glanced at the fallen tree and gave the teen a flat look. "What? I'm not the only one who's knocked down a few trees when I'm angry."

"Toothless!"

Oh joy.

Hiccup finally emerged from the trees, panting. He scowled at his dragon and flicked an ear platelet. "I _really_ hate it when you take off without me." Toothless grumbled in annoyance and Hiccup huffed. "Well, I'm not exactly a limber 15-year-old like I used to be, like this one!" Hiccup pointed at Finn with a thumb, but then blinked as if to realize his son was indeed standing there, in the middle of the woods. "Finn?" His dad noticed the fallen tree, the axe, and Finn's weepy red eyes, and instantly deduced there was a problem. "What's wrong?"

Finn looked away. "Nothing."

"Aaaaare you sure? Because you don't look-"

"Gods, I'm _fine_. Why don't you just go back to work, like you _always_ do?" Finn bit his tongue. He hated it when the bitterness slipped out. That was all that seemed to be happening today.

Instead of getting defensive like Finn expected, Hiccup calmly asked, "Finn, what's wrong?"

A simple question. One that he should have been able to dodge easily. But the more he locked eye contact with his dad, the more he felt the emotions bubbling back up. Gods, it was not a good day.

Finn shook his head and turned away, ready to sprint into the trees to die alone.

"Finn…" Hiccup stepped closer. "No hey, hey!" Hiccup gently grabbed his arm and pulled him closer. "What's the matter?"

Finn refused to make eye contact with him, even as the tears welled up. Everything was crashing down at the moment and the slightest slip up would ruin everything. The slightest blink and the tears would fall, and he _refused_ to let his father see him this weak and small.

Hiccup quietly broke the silence. "Finn… you can talk to me."

Finn stared up at him tearfully, tempted to burst and just let it out. He was angry. He was tired. This was the first time his dad was showing any sort of concern in ages. But this was also the first time in ages that he was allowing himself to _feel_.

He sniffed and looked down, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "N-nothing. It's just been a rough day." He knew it was a lame excuse, but what was he going to do? Spew every thought of self-pity that he had swirling through his head? Tell him about his spat with Helga while they were alone in a barn? Yeah.

A small part of him knew his dad would be more than glad to listen, but the rest of him said to just play innocent. Or else the whole can of worms would be opened.

Hiccup was standing there looking confused and concerned. Finn felt a rush of anger that his dad felt the need to be concerned about him. Shouldn't he be worried about what Adrianna was doing? She was just _always_ getting into trouble that way. Surely she needed him more right now.

"What?" Finn asked defensively.

Hiccup pursed his lips. "I want to help, Finn. But I can't if you don't let me."

"Help with what?" The red-haired teen demanded. "I don't need your help, you help Anna-"

Hiccup winced but still interrupted. "Ya know… I really don't. She doesn't come to me for things like she used to. But this isn't about her. I don't have one kid, I have two. There's something wrong and I don't want you to sweep it under the rug because you feel like you can't talk to me."

"I don't _want_ to talk to you." Finn replied stiffly. Finn knew his words stung, but he couldn't be civil. It wasn't in his character. He'd been rude and mean this long, he couldn't change it.

"You need to." Hiccup said carefully. "I'm not going to force you. But it's not good to bottle things up. It will come out one day and it's going to be a whole lot worse than now."

"Because you're an expert, you know these things." Finn muttered, picking at a loose strand on his sleeve.

Hiccup exhaled deeply through his nose. Finn wondered if he was testing his patience. But his dad still sounded placating when he spoke. "Do you remember when your mom and I were fighting when you were little?"

"Couldn't forget it."

"Well," Hiccup ignored the snide remark. "I was like that then. Ever since the duel, I bottled up all my emotions and stored them inside, and hoped that eventually they would just go away. You remember what happened."

Finn nodded a little.

"It doesn't matter if it's a friend or a parent or a spouse or a random acquaintance, things happen. People are going to upset you… or disappoint you." Finn glanced up at his dad. Hiccup took a deep breath. "It's not… easy to forgive and forget or let things go. In fact, it's never easy. But to spend these years angry and upset all the time…"

"What?"

Hiccup seemed to be choosing his words carefully. It was like, since his dad had his attention for once, he wasn't going to mess it up. For once, Finn agreed.

"It's not healthy. Your mom and I…" Hiccup carefully rested his hands on Finn's shoulders. "We want _both_ of you to be happy. We are proud of both of you in many ways."

Finn looked away guiltily. "But?"

"But your teen years are the hardest." Hiccup replied. "The things you do and say now will affect the rest of your life. And I don't mean it like, I expect you to go out and do great things at fifteen because I did." Finn looked at him skeptically. "I mean it, Finn, I still can't believe how my life turned out sometimes. I was just a scrawny screw-up who nobody liked, who couldn't _do_ anything right. I don't _expect_ you to change history."

"Then what do you expect from me?" Finn asked, surprised by the question that popped out of his mouth.

Hiccup thought long and hard, again weighing his words carefully. "Expect is a strong word."

"Ugh dad-"

"Sorry! I just… I know you like straightforward answers and that's not a bad thing. But I don't want to say something that you'll never forget and then I end up-"

"Saying too much?"

"Gods, you're so much like your grandfather." Hiccup remarked flatly. Finn cracked a smile and looked away. "And I do believe _that_ is the first smile that I've caused in a long time."

Finn rolled his eyes. "You were saying something?"

"Yes. I expect a lot of things." Hiccup said calmly. "I _want_ different things. Okay? There's a difference."

"Are you going to tell me what any of those things are?"

"I _want_ you to trust me. I don't _expect_ it."

Finn frowned. "You don't expect me to trust you? That doesn't make me sound very trustworthy."

Hiccup nodded once at the Great Beyond behind his son. "See? Screw-up."

"No, no, just… elaborate." Finn prompted. He wasn't sure why, but he wanted to understand.

Hiccup rubbed his forehead. "What I'm trying to say is, I want to earn your trust. I know you don't trust me and that's probably warranted. Something changed when you left home and came back, but there was something in Benen that you could relate to."

Finn tensed. Once again, someone brought it up today.

His dad noticed his change in body language. Hiccup held up his hands placatingly. "I know. Just… let me say it. Benen was exactly you needed after that. He taught you a lot. You thrived being his friend and he filled that emptiness that you felt from… that. But that doesn't mean I ever should have backed off or assumed that you were fine."

Finn felt his blood pressure rising. "So what are you trying to say? What, that you're jealous of Benen?"

Hiccup's eyes widened. "No! Of course not! No, that's not what I meant at all-"

"That you wish we hadn't gotten so close so I would have needed you? So _you_ could have been my hero?"

"No, I'm glad you were friends!" Hiccup exclaimed.

Finn glared at him, his mouth agape in horror. "You just want to replace him!"

"Replace-"

"You want me to give you everything I gave him because he's gone! And no matter how hard you try, you can't BE him and that's why we fight all the time, you just can't get me to cooperate like I did with him!"

"No! Finn, I never-"

"Well it's not going to work, dad, you'll never replace him! You're NOT Benen!"

Hiccup shook his head desperately. "I don't want to be, Finn! I just want to have a relationship with you!"

"Because you feel _guilty_ about pawning me off on him!"

"Pawning you off- Finn! You needed each other, every bit of your relationship was good!" Hiccup shoved his hands through his hair in aggravation. "He needed you as much as you needed him! I loved him too, Finn, and I'd never be jealous of him for spending time with you."

"Don't- just go away." Finn turned to walk away, grabbing his hair.

"No, wait! Wait." Hiccup ran to the other side to make him stop. "Finn. I'm not trying to replace anyone! I'm trying to fill my own role as your dad, okay? There was nothing wrong with having Benen as your closest friend _at all_ , but I didn't make sure you were okay myself! I should have been there for you and I wasn't! I'm sorry!"

"You and your _endless_ apologies!" Finn shoved him backwards, the tears welling up in his eyes again. "It never stops!"

"Benen was perfect for you in every way, Finn-"

"Which you'll never be! You can try until Ragnarok and it won't change anything!"

Hiccup stood up straight and sighed. "Why not? I've literally tried _everything_ to be there for you, what can I do?"

"Nothing! You can go away! You've never cared anyway!"

"That's not true!" Hiccup shouted. Finally, he seemed to be losing it. "I admit I was a lousy parent, which made you take off in the first place, but if I didn't care I wouldn't have brought you back! Where would you be without me?"

"Back on Rune as a freaking slave, dad!" Finn shoved his dad. "With Benen! Not stuck on this stupid piece of land with you!"

Hiccup shook his head. "Benen never would have wanted that! Your mother and I would _die_ without you here!"

Finn rolled his eyes. "Yeah, because I bring so much joy into your lives."

"You're our son, it doesn't matter whether you bring us joy or pain, we'll still love you, and if he were here, Benen would still love you too!"

Finn shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

"It does matter, Finn." Hiccup replied. "If there's one thing Benen showed us it's that we can never give up on the ones we love."

"Stop." Finn said with a quavering voice, gripping his hair in his hands.

"Benen loved you more than you-"

"BENEN'S DEAD!" Finn finally shouted, raising a fist and slamming it into Hiccup's chest.

Hiccup winced, though from the physical blow or the shout, Finn wasn't sure. His watery gaze dropped to the ground, his fist shaky against his father's chest. His throat began to throb as his words echoed in his mind. He sniffed loudly and choked out, "Benen's dead."

"Finn…" Hiccup whispered. Finn shook his head and stepped back, his red face contorting into pain he could no longer hide. "No, come here." Hiccup bridged the gap in one stride and pulled his son into his chest. Finn melted, his shoulders shaking from the suppressed sobs. Hiccup held him tightly, praying for some kind of answer. More than anything, he wished Benen was here.

How did his little boy get so lost? How did he ever let it get this bad? Was there something he could have done? Tears burned his own eyes at the sight of his broken little man, who was strong and smart and fierce in ways that he himself craved as a 15-year old. He couldn't fix this no matter how hard he tried. Was there any way to fix it?

"I miss him," Finn whispered.

Hiccup held him tighter. "I know you do. I miss him too. But strength isn't just measured by your muscles or how long you can go without breaking down. It's measured by the size of your heart."

"Benen said that."

"And it's true. He loved you. He wanted to teach you everything he could."

Finn's heart tugged guiltily, knowing that everything he was associated with, everything he started with his friends, was completely against what Benen had taught. He would've slapped him silly for making out with Helga, too. Finn's heart twisted in his chest, being slightly tempted to come clean to his dad right here and now about everything. He owed it to Benen.

But this wasn't Benen. This was his father, who failed again and again. What kind of role model was he? If Benen was here… well, lots of things would be different. But if Benen was here, he definitely would fess up. He'd repent and change his ways.

But this guy? His dad had plenty of his own problems. He always managed to do everything right where his family _wasn't_ concerned. No. Finn didn't owe him anything.

Abruptly pulling out of Hiccup's arms, he backed away. "This doesn't change anything."

Hiccup swallowed. "Why not, Finn?"

"Because I don't need you."

"Yes, you do. Finn…" Hiccup sighed and looked away for a moment. "Okay."

Finn blinked in surprise. "What?"

Hiccup licked his lips and slowly stepped closer to his son. Resting his hands on his shoulders, he took a deep breath and said, "I'm right here when you need me. Okay?"

Finn narrowed his eyes. "I don't-"

"I'm _right here_ when you need me."

Finn blinked in confusion, surprised that his dad wasn't being more pushy or upset. Hiccup's gaze was firm and unwavering, but full of sadness. Finn knew deep down that his dad wanted to help and he was being too stubborn to allow it. But what could he do? He wasn't Benen. He couldn't bring him back. He wasn't even there when the accident had happened. He should have been there. But like the great father he was, he was never there when he was needed most. So why would Finn give him a chance now?

Backing out of his father's hold, he walked out of the clearing. He glanced at Toothless sitting nearby and stopped in confusion. He'd been alone in the clearing while chopping down the tree. The axe was still lying on the ground near Hiccup, where he'd dropped it. Toothless had appeared out of nowhere, his father not far behind.

Whirling on his heel, Finn asked, "Wait. How did you know I was here?"

Hiccup snapped out of his dazed expression. "What? Oh… I think Toothless heard the tree fall. We were watching the perimeter and he took off."

Finn fought to keep his face neutral. The statement told him everything he needed to know. Erick was right; they were watching everybody. And if he'd thought about it beforehand, he wouldn't have asked. Because if his dad was on his tail, there was another breadcrumb to follow: his skeptical question.

"Whatever." The Haddock teen turned away and walked through the woods. He straightened his back and willed himself to be calm and collected as always, repeating his gang's message as he left his father in the clearing.

_Keep moving. Don't look back. Stay strong. Fortis._

* * *

Hiccup trekked through the village, feeling worn and raw and exposed. He couldn't fake a smile at the few people who said hello to him in passing, but luckily no one stopped to ask questions. He ignored pretty much anyone around him. But finally a cackle of laughter caught his attention and he walked toward it swiftly.

He found Astrid standing outside the bakery with Ruffnut and Tuffnut, the twins joking about Thor knew what. Without explanation to the twins, Hiccup grasped Astrid's elbow and steered her away. At first she tensed, but relaxed when she knew it was him. But her face clouded when she saw his expression.

"What's wrong?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Clearly."

They found an empty barn nearby and stepped inside. Astrid quickly closed the door as Hiccup sighed, rubbing his face. Stepping in front of him, she asked again, "What's wrong?"

Hiccup sighed, trying to gather his thoughts. "I… I was watching the perimeter earlier with Toothless and a couple guards, when we heard this crash in the woods. Like a tree had fallen." Astrid nodded. "Toothless took off before I could get on his back, so I chased after him. Well when I finally caught up, who do I find talking to him other than Finn?"

"Really?" Astrid wrinkled her brow. "Why?"

"Well… I wasn't sure at first, but he was really emotional. I kept asking him what was wrong because it was very obvious something wasn't right. But he just said he was having a bad day. And then…" Hiccup sighed.

"Then?"

Hiccup told her everything. It took some time and he had to pause now and then to fight tears, but eventually they were sitting on the ground against hay bales by the time he finished.

"…and he just walked away. Left me standing there in the clearing, feeling as lost and guilty as ever."

Astrid was silent for a long minute. "He had to break down at some point. He's been tense for weeks. He just puts up this façade that he's a happy-go-lucky teen guy, but… he can't do it forever."

Hiccup nodded. "I just… when I said that about Benen, I didn't mean it to turn into a huge fight. But suddenly I just got so mad! I'm tired of him acting like he was the only one who was hurt when Benen died. Like Benen belonged to him exclusively and how dare anybody else feel grief and sadness that he's gone. And then, he acts like I'm jealous of Benen! Just… no!"

"I know."

"I mean, I'm sorry, I know you're upset but are you listening to yourself? I don't want to act like he's deluded, but sorry, that's delusional!"

"Hiccup-"

"How could anybody be jealous of Benen over anything?"

"And if Finn was hearing you right now, I think he'd kill you."

Hiccup sighed heavily. "Yeah. Me and my big mouth."

"At least… for the end, it was you. He let you hold him for a few minutes. That's a good thing, isn't it?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I don't know, Astrid. I don't know what to do anymore. I just keep thinking that I could have done something, what could I have done different? I'm definitely not saying I did it all right, but Finn _won't_ let me in! Since he finally snapped out of that two-week daze and I tried to be nice or talk or… or anything, he'd just… shut me out. I've never been let back in since." Hiccup held up his palms. "What can I do anymore that I haven't tried?"

"We just have to keep doing what Benen said to us. Never give up on them. Adri's finally starting to come around, here and there. Finn might too."

"He's so much different. He's so bitter and..." Hiccup exhaled. "And I just feel like a lousy father."

"You're not a lousy father." Astrid frowned. "A lousy father doesn't stick around. A lousy father doesn't try again and again."

Hiccup hummed noncommittally. Astrid sighed and pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok-ah!" Hiccup jerked back.

"What?"

"Oh…" Hiccup winced, rubbing his chest. "Lovely."

Realization dawned on her. "My gods, what did he do?"

"Well… when he got angry when we were talking about Benen, he punched me."

Astrid flicked his nose, making him yelp. She began to lift his shirt. "Why didn't you tell me! He could have broken your ribs!"

"I don't care."

"This is serious! Look at that!" Astrid pointed at the large black and blue bruise blooming on his chest. "He could really hurt you!"

Hiccup shrugged. "I can take the physical pain he dishes out. It's him I'm worried about. Astrid, don't you get it? He's suffering! He feels alone and acts like nobody cares, especially me! And there's nothing we can do about it unless he lets us help him."

Astrid breathed through her nose. "I'll try and talk to him."

"Are you sure?"

"I'll try to talk to him tonight, when he's had the rest of the day to calm down. Seeing as I'll be alone tonight. Again."

Hiccup didn't miss the pointedness in her words. "I'm sorry."

She smiled wanly and gave him a chaste kiss. "I understand. Soon?"

"Soon."

"Good. Come on, let's get lunch. I'm starving."

"Okay."

Hiccup accepted his wife's hand and she hauled him to his feet. As they made their way to the Great Hall, Hiccup couldn't help but look toward the forge, wondering if his son was inside working, despite the fact that it was Sunday and the teenagers weren't supposed to work on weekends. He wished there was something he could say or do to gain his little man's trust, but he supposed he had to be patient and loving.

"I'll be here when you need me." Hiccup murmured under his breath.

"What?" Astrid asked.

"Nothing." Taking her hand, Hiccup led her up the stairs toward the Hall, away from the son that so desperately needed a father.

* * *

Erick couldn't believe he was doing this.

To avoid detection from the guards keeping watch of the entrance to the Terror Messaging House, he had to climb down a cliff, which required taking an hour-long hike out of his way so he could get to said cliff located above the Terror House.

He'd watched the guards shift at ten o'clock. He hoped by eleven, they'd switch again, though he wasn't positive. Either way, he had to be quick. Luckily there was a large boulder located at the top of the cliff, and he'd brought a few yards of rope. Tying a quick rig that allowed him to rappel down the Cliffside without falling to his death, Erick gradually eased himself down. He kept one eye on the guards as he went, thankful for the thick tree cover surrounding him. He was glad to have found a mask to wear and changed his clothes from what he was wearing at breakfast as well, just in case. He wasn't taking any chances. Except from the itching cuts on his forearms, he would be able to make a quick climb back up the cliff if he needed to escape.

As long as the archers didn't shoot him down. He wasn't sure what Hiccup's policy was on catching wanted criminals. He figured he'd have to take the chance and hope Hiccup hadn't issued a "kill on sight" kind of deal.

Finally, the roof to the Terror House loomed just below him. Turning away from the cliff, he soundlessly dropped onto the roof. He waited a few minutes in silence to escape detection, and right on cue, three new guards emerged from the path that led to the village. The guards in front of the doorway simultaneously sighed in relief and trudged forward, allowing the new shift to take over. Erick pressed himself against the roof to avoid detection.

All six guards stood in a circle chatting for a few minutes. Erick mentally debated if he wanted to make his move now, or wait until there was only three. He was honestly afraid to breathe, which was hard enough in the stuffy cotton mask, and the almost noonday sun beating on his back was making him sweat like crazy. Maybe black was a little too obvious a color to wear anyway. Night time would have been preferable for this ordeal, but he didn't want to wait for ten hours to get the Terrors, then send out the messages to the gang late tonight, and then hopefully do the breakout tomorrow night. Pft. Best be proactive before he talked himself out of it.

Finally, the guards continued on their way, leaving the new shift to watch in silence. Erick decided to make his move before they got too comfortable and could hear his movement. Scrambling toward the back of the roof as quietly as he could, Erick dropped to the ground. He wasn't sure who put a back door on a building that was backed up to a cliff, with only a foot and a half of clearance, but he figured the building wasn't originally built for storing Terrible Terrors as messengers. For all he knew, this building used to be the dragon skinning location in the old days.

Not only was there a door in the back of the building against the cliff wall, but there was also a lock on the door. Erick shook his head and held out his palms. What? Who's idea- what kind of moron? What was the point? If Erick survived this and had opportunity, he really wanted to ask who built this place. He wasn't a professional in building himself, but he didn't think the individual had very many brain cells.

_Erick, focus._

Erick shook himself and pulled out a pocket knife from his boot. Sticking the point into the lock, he began to jimmy back and forth, trying to be as quiet as possible. Luckily when he was close friends with Adrianna, he'd done lots of reading. One book that always fascinated him was one on locks, codes, and ciphers. While he enjoyed fiction just as much, that was a book he'd read countless times. Finally, he had good reason to have this sort of knowledge.

Well, was it good knowledge if it was for criminal activity? Oh, what was he doing…

Finally, the locked snapped open. Erick dropped it to the ground and opened the door, wincing when the hinges squeaked. He froze. No sounds came from the guards out front, so he slipped inside. Luckily he was thin enough to squeeze into the dim room. He eyed the front door suspiciously for a few moments, waiting for the guards to sense his presence. When nothing happened, he focused on the room around him.

Erick's eyes widened. When people said Hiccup could communicate with just about anybody with his Terrors, they weren't chalking it down to a number. There were literally dozens of Terrible Terrors scattered throughout the room, sitting in various nests, drinking from water troughs or snacking on fish from a large bowl in the center of the room. Hiccup was obviously not one to lock up dragons, so rumor had it when he'd trained the small dragons to be messengers, he'd let the Terrors go free now and then. Over time they'd come to enjoy the indoors and would always come back. Now he didn't have to worry about retraining dragons over and over again. This was his personal flock of trustworthy messengers that he trusted with any kind of message, particularly those between the other chiefs.

Now that he was inside, Erick had to hope the Terrors wouldn't give him away. Terrors got loud when excited. Also, how many did he take? Would they even go with him? These were Hiccup's _personal_ messengers, his little entourage. Would they go with someone they didn't know? He hoped so or all of this would be for nothing.

Inching forward on light feet, Erick poked three Terrors sitting in a nest. They lifted their heads and looked at him with large round eyes.

"Hey guys," Erick whispered, pulling his mask off his face so they could see him. The green one crooned at him and licked his hand. He realized this one was Sharpshot, one of Hiccup's first Terrors to train. He'd definitely seen this dragon a few times. The blue and red one sat there skeptically, but Sharpshot kept them calm. For now.

"I need some messages delivered. Think you can help me out?" Erick asked. Sharpshot squeaked in approval and crawled onto his shoulder. "How about you guys?"

The red and blue one hissed at him loudly, leaping out of their nest to fly around the room. "No! Shh!" Erick whispered hoarsely. "Sharpshot, make them stop!"

Sharpshot growled at them loudly, which only aggravated many of the other dragons. It was like the younger messengers were sick of the old man messenger bossing them around. Erick gritted his teeth, willing them to be quiet, when it happened.

The doorknob jiggled from the front.

Erick jerked his mask back on and sped outside the back door, Sharpshot speeding after him. He didn't have time to close the door and reattach the lock. He jumped as high as he could and grabbed the roof. The cuts on his arms flared in protest as he hauled himself onto the roof, just as the guards spread out around the building.

"I could have sworn I heard something!"

"The Terrors are upset too. Fan out!"

Erick held his breath, lying flat against his back, his heart pounding in his chest. He stared at the rope, dangling down the cliff. Luckily there was no wind, so it hadn't been noticed yet. He wondered if he could outrun the guards in the woods or even on the trail… No, they'd call reinforcements before he'd get halfway to the village. At least up the cliff, they'd have to get dragons from the village to get up the cliff… he'd be long gone by then.

"Back door's open so someone was here. But where'd he go?"

Erick carefully got to his hands and knees, staring at the rope just above the roof. He'd have to time it just right. He wouldn't get a second chance at this. If he got caught, the gang was done.

"Phil, go get the chief. I don't like-"

Erick sprinted to the edge of the roof. Kicking off the stone wall, he stretched upwards and barely managed to grab the rope.

"Up there! Get him!"

Erick growled, grabbing farther up the rope and hauling himself higher. His muscles strained and he could feel the cuts on his forearms tear open. Gritting his teeth, he gained traction with his boots and began to scale the wall as fast as he could. Sharpshot zipped to the top of the cliff, squeaking encouragements down at him.

An arrow hit the rocks beside him, spraying rock and dust over him. He coughed but pressed forward, adrenaline helping him to move quicker.

"HEY! You can't get away!"

A sharp pain sliced his calf muscle as another arrow slammed into the cliff. Erick yelped, forcing himself to keep moving. If they were to hit him again, he'd drop. He didn't want to die like this, just because he signed up for a stupid gang _yesterday_. The chief wouldn't find _his_ body!

Erick glanced down at the guards again, the archer notching another arrow. The teenager gasped as the guard released the arrow, but the aim was high. He realized in horror that it almost hit the rope. He was almost to the top, he couldn't fall now!

Using one free hand, Erick grabbed the arrow stuck in the stone and used it to pull himself to the top. Hauling himself over the cliff edge, he looked just in time to see an arrow whizz over his head into the woods beyond. Erick gasped heavily, panting through the mask. Sharpshot squeaked in concern by his leg.

Erick peered over the edge to see two of the three guards sprinting down the path, as expected. Sitting up, Erick lifted his pant leg to inspect the damage. Luckily, it was a mild cut from the arrow. Not very deep, but he'd need a few stitches. Great, evidence. Hiccup wouldn't want to look at every leg of every teenager on Berk, but he certainly could. Plus, he was going to leave a blood trail.

Using his knife, Erick quickly cut a large strip of fabric off his sleeve and tightly wrapped his leg. Without another second to waste, he took off into the woods at a run. "Sharpshot, come on!" The Terrible Terror squeaked and quickly followed.

He didn't get very far when a familiar roar echoed across the hills. At first, Erick was terrified Hiccup was about to leap onto him from Toothless…but then he realized Toothless didn't sound like a Deadly Nadder. Looking up into the sky, Erick skidded to a halt.

"Charger!"

The Green Deadly Nadder came in for a landing, not a moment too soon. Erick laughed and gave his dragon a hug. "Boy, am I glad to see you! Let's get out of here."

Pulling himself into the saddle took more effort than usual, due to the hard climb he'd just finished. His arms shook and he knew his arms were bleeding. He'd have to take care of those once he got to Mildew's, where he'd stashed his other clothes. Charger took off with a wild excitement, glad that his rider FINALLY wanted to spend some time with him. Staying under the cloud cover, they flew to the other side of the forest as fast as they could.

Halfway there, Erick laughed. He actually did it. He broke in, stole a Terror, and got away with next to no injuries. Sharpshot happily flew beside them. He wondered if it even constituted as stealing if the dragon went willingly? Either way, Finn had a point. The challenge and adrenaline rush were addicting.

He almost couldn't wait for nightfall.


	12. Moves and Counter Moves

Finn huffed in annoyance, willing himself to listen to the conversation around him. It was a different group of people than usual, mainly to avoid suspicion from his dad. The boy currently yakking was Cliff, a curly-haired boy who didn't seem to understand the concept of silence. The teen was currently explaining the conceptual difference between moths and butterflies. Ugh… Helga seemed interested enough, sitting beside him, considering who her father was.

There was definitely a space between them on the bench. Who knew a mere two inches could feel so distant and cold? Just a few hours ago they'd been closer than usual, in the physical sense. But now it seemed there was a gap between them, and not only where the bench was concerned.

Finn sighed heavily behind his hand. He'd screwed up for sure. He knew he was being ridiculous in some ways, but most of the time he truly believed he had a right to his attitude. Did he have any right to forcefully make out with her because he was upset over a conversation with a completely different person? His heart lurched. Of course he didn't. Did he have a right to get upset when his girlfriend wanted him to spill every one of his deep dark secrets? Heck yes.

Right?

Stealing a quick glance, he noticed Helga definitely ignoring him. Her shoulders angled just away from him, nodding and smiling at Cliff as he talked, her eyes trained on him completely. He didn't necessarily feel jealousy toward the other teen for his girlfriend's attention, per se. He did, but not because he felt competition. Cliff knew his position—he'd be squashed like a bug if he crossed the line. The fact that he was allowing the curly-haired boy to sit at the same table was generous enough.

At the same time, Finn felt bad. He'd hurt Helga's feelings one way or another. The look of fear that she'd given him just before leaving the barn… He couldn't get it out of his head. Did he scare her? He'd lashed out at her, perhaps that was it. She didn't seem to be afraid of him any other time. She hadn't told him to stop kissing her, and he'd like to think he _would_ stop if she asked. He hoped.

The thought made his stomach churn and he stared down at the floor, swallowing the bile in his throat. If Helga asked him to stop, _would_ he? She was tough and tenacious in ways that he honestly admired. He didn't have any intentions of hurting her in any way. He hadn't thought about it at all! But when the road started to get bumpy, she was the one he turned to. Not for advice. Not to talk or get help in any way.

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He was using her. When he had some problem that upset him, Helga was there to make him feel strong again. But this was an angle of strength he hadn't thought of before. He hadn't realized just how out of line he was. He didn't _want_ to abuse her. That's not what he _wanted_.

But that's exactly what he was doing.

Finn's face flushed and he immediately rubbed his forehead. Hopefully nobody was noticing his sudden embarrassment and horror for his own actions. Suddenly he wanted to drag her out of the room, but for a completely different reason. For the first time, he wanted to apologize for something. He didn't want her to be afraid of him; he didn't want to be an abusive jerk that objectified women because he couldn't handle his own problems. The problems were a completely different issue. He wasn't going soft; he wouldn't be changing the whole lot. But he didn't want to screw up Helga. Literally.

Before Finn could make his move, his attention was drawn elsewhere. The Great Hall doors slammed open and two guards rushed in, scanning the room as quickly as they could. Finn frowned, watching as they found the chief and bounded over. From the council's table, Hiccup saw them coming and stiffened in his seat, waiting patiently for them to reach him. Finn watched with piqued interest as a guard grabbed Hiccup's shoulder and urgently whispered something in his ear. His dad's face morphed from confusion into concern in a matter of seconds.

Then he was on his feet, pointing guards toward the doors and signaling Toothless. Murmurs broke out through the Hall, everyone simultaneously wondering what was happening. Gobber stood and told everyone to calm down, focus on their meals and conversations. But Finn's eyes never left his father as he quickly walked to the doors, and then disappeared outside. Wherever he was going, it was urgent.

Suddenly, it hit him. Finn had completely forgotten, but it was almost noon. He was supposed to be receiving a Terror message soon.

"Erick." Finn whispered.

Helga flashed him a warning look. Finn nearly slapped himself for speaking aloud, especially when a few other teens looked at him. He was having serious problems today.

Cliff frowned. "What?"

Finn scowled and shook his head. "Nothing."

"Sounded like-"

"Cliff," Finn interrupted with a deadly tone. "I'm starting to wonder why people don't like having you around. Maybe you're just a little too… talkative."

Cliff's face reddened, but not in embarrassment. Leaving forward on his elbow, he murmured so only Finn and Helga could hear. "And I'm starting to wonder why the heck _anyone_ puts up with you, Finn. At least I'm flexible and can take the insults people dish at me. What about you? What are you going to do when everyone leaves you to sit by yourself?"

Finn saw red. More than anything he wanted to lunge across the table and break the little punk's nose for _daring_ to open his mouth. But Helga's bright eyes at the corner of his vision spoke volumes. She was waiting for his response. Everyone seemed to watching, waiting for his response. While the entire Great Hall carried on, Finn found himself at a crossroads that he normally wouldn't hesitate to decide on. This punk _deserved_ to be put in his place.

Unclenching his jaw, Finn finally found his voice. "Don't push me." Standing without another word, Finn stalked out of the Great Hall without looking back. Stepping into the sunlight, he felt choked and alone. He marched around the side of the Hall and slid to the ground. That was the first time he'd ever allowed anyone to insult him, and he didn't retaliate. He wasn't proud of himself for doing a "good deed" because he didn't think of himself as good.

First, he discovered he was an abusive boyfriend. Now he realized he was the bully everyone else saw. While he thought he was tough and cool, someone to be worshiped, everyone in fact saw a tyrant, a selfish jerk that blew up when he didn't have control.

The control was slipping more and more as the day went on. He could feel it. He didn't know why today was going so badly, and it was only noon. He thought back to his father's words earlier that day: _I'm right here when you need me._

Finn felt the sudden urge to find him. He was digging himself into a hole that was a whole lot bigger than he'd realized. The surrounding ground was starting to cave in and soon he'd be buried alive. Should he accept the hand offered to him? Should he allow someone to pull him out?

"I can do this," Finn whispered, burying his face into his knees. "I have to get a grip."

Some things had to change. He had to apologize to Helga, for instance. But he quashed the urge to talk to his father about… everything. His dad couldn't help him. The repercussions would be too great and he'd only be punished. Obviously he didn't want to be punished, but it was more than that. Deep, deep down, he wanted something. He didn't even know what it was anymore. Love? A hug? His father's approval? Common sense said if you do the right thing, you'll get approval. So why couldn't he just do the right thing? Why couldn't he be kind? What happened to turn him into this kind of monster, so much so that he didn't even _realize_ it?

Benen died.

Finn's throat felt like it would snap. Once again, emotion overwhelmed him. It was like he'd suddenly turned into his sister overnight and he couldn't stop having second thoughts or having the urge to blubber at the drop of a hat. What was wrong with him? Irritation bubbled inside him. If somebody turned a corner and saw him sitting in the shadows crying like a little girl who lost her dolly, he'd never hear the end of it.

Somehow he didn't care. Hugging his knees against the Great Hall, Finn stayed in that position until his muscles began to cramp and the sun's position had changed. The tears had long since dried and he felt much calmer. His heart was still heavy, but for once he was glad he wasn't participating with the gang tonight. He wanted to go home, hug his pillow, and sleep.

A growl sounded from the rooftop, disrupting the peace. He slowly looked up to see a green Terrible Terror swoop down and land in front of him, huffing a plume of smoke, clearly irritated. Finn slowly exhaled and pulled the message off the dragon's leg.

"So you're the chosen one, eh?" Finn asked. The dragon hissed at him, clearly miffed at the obscure hiding place. "Sorry. Been a long day."

The Terror cocked his head at the boy as he opened the note. The Terror looked familiar, but Finn shrugged it off, not thinking on it further. The note read,

_Barely got away with one. Stay low, guards everywhere. Gathering supplies next. Send him back to me and I'll get the rest of the messages out._

_-LE_

Finn frowned at the initials. He knew the message was from Erick, so why'd he change the letters around? Then he realized with a smirk that if the note was intercepted somehow, his dad would look for someone with the initials of L.E., not E.L. Yep, Erick was smart. Really smart.

Finn pulled out a pencil from his boot (it's irritating when you can't find one!) and scrawled "K" beneath Erick's initials. He didn't bother putting his initials. If his dad _were_ to intercept the note, a mixture of FFH wouldn't be hard to track. Leaving it blank was the better option.

"Erick Larson." Finn murmured to the dragon as he tied the note back on its leg. The dragon licked his hand and scampered off, taking off in the shadows toward the back of the Hall. Finn watched it fly away, briefly wondering if he knew the dragon. It certainly looked familiar.

Sighing heavily, he leaned his head back against the wall and stared at the sky. If he needed to lie low, so be it. He'd be just fine right here until he decided to go home. For now, he was content to sit alone and listen to the birds chirp. He felt drained of all energy from all the emotion and chopping the tree down earlier.

Footsteps sounded from the corner and he looked over to see Helga briskly walking over. A pang of guilt made him look away as she slid into a seated position with a few inches of space between them.

They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes. Finn felt the need to speak up—he wanted to apologize anyway. But Helga had searched him out, so she must want to say something as well. After nearly five minutes of silence, he couldn't take it anymore.

"Hey…" Finn began. "I know I've been a jerk lately. I'm sorry."

Helga blew her bangs off her forehead. "That's underestimating things a little bit, don't you think? You're out of control."

"Sorry-"

"No, you're NOT sorry!" Helga cried out. Finn winced at the sudden height in volume. "That's the problem, Finn! You're mean to everybody and you don't care! And top of that, to you I'm just a play thing, something you can use to make yourself feel better when you're upset."

Finn rubbed his face. "I know. I really _am_ sorry. I didn't… I never wanted things to turn out like this. With us."

"What did you want?" Helga asked firmly.

Finn searched her face. He saw real anger in her eyes, and hurt. She had a lot of her mom's features but her father's intellect, something he'd admired in her for years. She wasn't a girly-girl like his sister, though she could be if she wanted to be. But most of the time she fought for her place at the top, right there with the guys. With him.

Finally she looked away, clearly aggravated at his lack of response. "You never even liked me, did you?"

"What?" Finn asked incredulously. "Of course I did!"

"What changed then?"

"Who said anything changed?"

"Finn!" Helga finally stood, towering above him. "You've been treating me like this for a _long_ time. I've stood by and watched my friend, someone I trusted, turn into something mean and hard to be around! You don't respect me, you don't talk to me about anything, and you use me to make yourself feel strong when you're not!"

Finn felt heat rise to his face, only partial embarrassment. Standing, he growled, "I'm trying to apologize for my screw ups! Shouldn't that amount to something?"

"Not if it isn't real! And the way you treated Cliff in there, an actually very sweet guy, showed me exactly who you are and who you want to be." Helga jabbed his chest. "You only want me around for the physical aspect! You don't want a real relationship!"

"Then what, pray tell, defines a 'real relationship'?"

"Trust! To be frank, I don't _trust_ you, Finn!" Finn blinked, but Helga continued, "The way you make out with me, how would I know you wouldn't just as easily go to any other girl for it?"

Finn's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me? First off, you _liked_ it! Don't act like you were begging me to stop because you said nothing!" Helga closed her mouth. "Second, I have not kissed any other girls besides you. Ever. I might be a jerk, but I'm not a cheater!"

Helga swallowed and crossed her arms. "How would I know that? You don't really act like you care about me at all."

"Because I don't give you flowers every day?"

Helga's jaw tightened. "Because you don't show it at all. I don't know about you, but I think dating should have a purpose. I don't want to date just for the heck of it. I want to find a man who is kind and helps people, and tells me where I have screwed up so I can learn to do better. I want someone who can be my _friend_." Helga shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears now. "And you're _not_ that man, Finn. You're just a boy."

Finn breathed a short scoff. "We're not exactly adults, Helga."

"We're not far off! Two years and we can sit in on council meetings! We could legally get married in two years, have you ever thought about that?"

"No, because marriage isn't exactly on my list of priorities right now!" Finn frowned. "Sorry if that gets your braid in a bunch, but it's really not."

Helga gritted her teeth. "Marriage isn't even the issue. I'm tired of being used and abused."

"And I already said sorry at the beginning. I'll try to do better."

Helga closed her eyes and shook her head. "I don't think… I don't think you deserve that chance."

Finn blinked. "What?"

Steeling herself, Helga straightened and looked him in the eye. Her eyes were brimmed with tears, which was strange for him to see. He couldn't remember the last time she'd cried in front of him. "I'm breaking up with you, Finn. I think it would be best if we stopped seeing each other."

Finn felt like his brain had shut down. He stared at her blankly before he finally shook his head. "What?"

Helga swallowed. "Finn-"

"No, no, no," Finn waved his hands around. "You're not serious."

"Yes, I'm very serious." Helga wiped her eyes on her wrist. "I can't change you, Finn. And I can't help you if you won't let me."

"What IS it with everybody today?" Finn growled, pacing the stone walkway. Helga jumped in surprise. "Why can't anybody get the gist: I don't WANT anybody's help!"

"And that there lies your problem!" Helga cried. "You're so thick-headed and stubborn! How many people have offered to help you? How many people try again and again to be nice to you and you spit them in the face for it? How many times have I tried to help you move on and get help and be kind, and you still don't?"

"Oh yeah, be kind and generous and soft-spoken, and for what? None of those things got me anywhere."

"When was the last time you tried? Maybe if you put a little effort into it, not that it takes all that much for normal people, you'd find that it's not so lonely in the world when you're nice! That was the kind of thing Benen taught you, wasn't it?"

Finn froze. "Shut up."

"No, what would he say to you if he saw you now?" Helga pressed. "He'd despise the boy you've become, so much time and effort and LOVE he put into you and you throw it in his face!"

"SHUT UP!" Finn grabbed her arm and shoved her against the wall. Helga yelped, cowering against the wall as he towered over her. "Don't say _another_ word. If you want out, _fine_. I don't need you around and I _don't_ need you telling me how to live my life." Finn sneered in her face.

Helga trembled in his grasp, trying to pull free. "L-let me go."

"I'm not finished." Finn growled. "If you say one word to anyone about the gang or even think about deserting, I'm zoning in on Gunnar."

Helga's eyes widened. "What? No! If you lay one hand on him, I'll-"

"You'll what?" Finn whispered hoarsely, nearly touching his forehead to hers. Helga stared at him in terror, afraid to move or breathe. "And don't think I won't check in with the others. I'll know if you decide to take off."

Helga pushed at his wrist, tears threatening to fall. "Please let me go. I'll be there tonight, just don't hurt Gunnar. Finn, please."

Finn released her, allowing her to stumble away. She leaned against the wall from ten feet away, watching him warily as if waiting for him to grab her again. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she held her arm, where a scalding red handprint appeared.

Roughly wiping her face, she scrambled away, ducking into the trees nearby. Finn watched her go without remorse. Four hours ago, he'd been kissing her senseless in a barn. Now he couldn't care less what happened to her. He'd recognized his problem, apologized and vowed to make amends, and THIS was how she repaid him?

No more. Something had officially snapped. Finn was finished with everyone. From here on out, he relied on himself. He couldn't allow his soft father's words to get into his head and heart; he couldn't allow himself to grow weak and a conscience. He couldn't allow any touchy subjects, not Benen, not Rune, not slavery, not anything, to throw him into an emotional downward spiral. He _had_ to be stronger than this.

From now on, nothing stood in his way.

* * *

Hiccup inspected the blood stains in the grass at the top of the cliff, chewing his lip pensively. He'd sent guards into the forest to search for the assailant, just in case, but he didn't need to be told that he was long gone. He hoped the injury wasn't serious because really, he didn't want anyone to get hurt. He was glad the archer hadn't shot the kid down. But still, another bust with no clues as to who was in the gang.

"So what do you think?" Fishlegs asked from behind him, leaning against Meatlug. The small gathering of council members and their dragons stood in a semicircle behind him or on the ground below at the Terror House, all waiting for instructions.

Hiccup blew air past his lips. "Not exactly a hit. More like a clever attempt to have other means of communication without meeting as a group." He slowly stood from his crouch, feeling the blood rush to his bad knee. He bent the limb a few times to get rid of the heated tingling. "Smart."

"Now what?" Horst asked, crossing his arms. "We can't scour the entire population looking for a teenager with a cut leg."

"No, we can't." Hiccup agreed. "There's a number of reasons we aren't doing that. It would be nice if we could track people by blood sample."

"That'd save us a lot of time for sure," Fishlegs nodded vehemently. "Like, if there was some kind of tracking system by fingerprints or blood samples? Genius."

Hiccup watched the other council members glance at each other in concern, then smirked. "It's an interesting theory, gentleman. But that's an experiment for another day." Mounting Toothless, he said, "All right, let's see the damage."

Toothless swooped to the ground far below, sniffing the dirt around the outside of the Terror House. Hiccup slid back to the ground, gazing up the cliff wall, and whistled. "Kid had to be strong to get away that fast."

Snotlout snorted from nearby. "Probably just adrenaline."

"Maybe." Hiccup turned and inspected the lock and hinges on the back door. "Cale and Frey are pretty strong, even Evan. Who knows who else is in the group?"

Manny the Mad grunted. "Guards said the kid was skinny."

"Whaaat, skinny guys can't be strong?" Hiccup grinned, locating the lock in the grass.

"You're not strong chief, " Manny countered. "You're lean."

Snotlout and Fishlegs snickered. Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "I am too strong. It's all the flying."

"You couldn't beat your son in an arm wrestling contest!"

Hiccup winced at the mention of Finn. "I could if I wanted to."

"But you don't, so you wouldn't! So my comment stands!"

Hiccup shook his head, inspecting the lock. "Anyway, nothing on the door or lock seems to show any damage. This kid knew how to pick a lock."

Snotlout huffed. "So?"

"So," Hiccup replied. "He's using his brain instead of leaving a bunch of evidence. If the Terrors hadn't caused a ruckus inside, the kid could have replaced the lock and left without leaving any evidence behind whatsoever." The chief paused, tapping the lock in his palm. "That's actually a stroke of genius, come to think of it."

"How's that?" Snotlout asked in a bored tone.

Fishlegs intervened. "Come on, Snotlout, these kids have been leaving messes behind everywhere they've gone. They're getting smarter."

"Or they've rallied someone who _is_ smarter." Hiccup countered, stepping inside the House. The men followed.

"And the difference is?" Snotlout asked.

"The difference, Snotlout," Hiccup said as he greeted a few Terrors. "Is in who's coming up with the plans. So far they've done nothing but one thing: destroy. Suddenly, there's a strategy. I mean come on," The chieftain gestured at the room. "What kid thinks to break into the chief's personal messaging center to steal a Terror to communicate outside of meeting as a group _just_ as the chief has issued a triple watch on the village? That's not just some kid trying destroy property, _this_ …" Hiccup shook his head. "This is a strategy."

Fishlegs shook his head, glancing at Horst as he joined the men from inside. "But _why_? That's what I'm not getting. What's the purpose?"

Hiccup shrugged. "You got me. Destroying property is just flat out rebellion, to me. This is different. To me, when someone thinks of a deliberate strategy to try to blow past me, that's far different. This is an outright test of my security in the village, whether these kids think it's this serious or not, it is. They're testing my capability to protect our people, it doesn't matter if it's petty or not. Because if real enemies out there find out our own children can get past me-"

"Right." Horst nodded.

"We'll have a lot more problems than teenage dissension." Fishlegs sighed. Snotlout nodded solemnly in agreement.

Hiccup ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "The next time they make a move, we'll be there waiting."

Snotlout gestured to the Terrors sitting around them. "So what about them? What can we do about the missing one?"

Hiccup scanned the room with a furrowed brow. He turned in a full circle as if looking for something in particular. "Wait a second…" He turned again, searching the rafters and nests all around them.

"Missing something?" Snotlout asked.

Hiccup gave him a flat look. "Yes. A Terrible Terror, Snotlout. Have you seen one?"

"I've seen many in the last few minutes. I'll gladly throw one at your face!"

Hiccup rolled his eyes and kept searching. "Where are you…"

Horst stepped forward with a look of surprise. "Wait, do you know which one is missing?"

The chief finally stopped turning as a grin spread on his face. "Ohhh they're good." He chuckled mildly and shook his head, "They're really, really good, I'll hand it to them. This kid was smart."

Snotlout shook his head in confusion. "Didn't we cover this already?"

Hiccup smirked. "They're good. But not good enough."

"What are you talking about?"

"There is only one Terrible Terror that I use on a fairly consistent basis." Hiccup crossed his arms smugly. "He's calm, he's smart, and he knows everyone on the island and all the surrounding chieftains in the Archipelago for that matter. He's the first Terror I ever trained."

Fishlegs eyes widened. "No way. They took… they didn't really?"

Hiccup's smirk widened. "Sharpshot."

"Sooo," Snotlout shrugged, unimpressed. "Great! Call him back and let's see if he can lead us to the gang!"

Horst's eyes twinkled. "While that's not a bad idea…"

"I'll let them have him for a bit." Hiccup amended. "See if we can't intercept a message now and then. Sharpshot won't have any trouble finding me when I call, and he'll understand when I tell him to go back to the gang. I'll feed him double for his hard work."

"Because everybody knows that a Terror trained well," Fishlegs crossed arms.

" _Always_ returns to his master." Hiccup finished.

* * *

"Hey, Nani." Brandyn said cheerfully when he met Adrianna in the entrance to the Great Hall. "How were the kiddies?"

"Magnus's kids are so cute." Adrianna gushed. "I wish I had a niece or nephew. Have you ever heard a baby giggle? It's adorable!"

"I guess." Brandyn stopped himself from rolling his eyes at the last second. As far as he was concerned, babies were drool factories. "So you want to get a good seat or should we stand out here gabbing until all the good food is taken?"

"Sorry, let's go!" Adrianna allowed him to open the door for her and sauntered into the Great Hall. A delicious smell filled her nostrils. "Roast chicken? Wow, that's my favorite."

Brandyn smiled. "Is it? Well that's a funny coincidence. Take a seat, I'll get some for you."

"Well thank you." Adrianna smiled and sat down at a table close to the wall so she could read her book without too many people squeezing past her. She had started a new series about a boy who fought monsters and went to summer camp and she wasn't sure if she liked it or not but she couldn't quite bring herself to put it down just yet.

"Oh, you like that series?" Adrianna looked up to find a pair of gray eyes staring at her from just over her head. "Isn't it the best?"

"Sorry, do I know you?" Adrianna asked, only vaguely recognizing the teenage boy standing over her.

"Sort of." the boy sat down next to her. "Cliff Smedley." he held out a hand, which she shook awkwardly. "I'm only the best leather shop guy ever."

"Doesn't Erick work there?" Adrianna's chest tightened at the mention of her former friend but if Cliff sensed her discomfort, he didn't let on.

"Ah yeah, my bruh!" Cliff's face brightened up. "He's only the love of my life."

The book slipped out of Adrianna's hands at this statement. "Sorry, _what_?"

"Nah, not like romantic true love!" Cliff vehemently shook his head. "I mean Erick's a handsome lad, really, but I'm not into, you know, _that_."

"Right." Adrianna said through her teeth, picking up her book and trying to find her place.

"Ah, sorry if I made it awkward." Cliff grinned widely. "I should really explain what I mean by 'love of my life' to prevent future confusion. What I mean is we've got this connection, like we're soul mates but we're bros... we're bro-mates! No... we're _bromantic_! That's it! Deep connection but bros. It's a thing. I'm gonna make it a thing."

"Have fun with that." Adrianna raised an eyebrow.

"Aww don't be a stick-in-the-mud! I see why you and Erick were besties forever. He's a bit of a grouch too." Cliff put his elbow on the table and rested his cheek on his hand. "Not that you're a grouch. Well maybe sometimes because _everyone_ is a grouch sometimes. I'm a grouch when I stay up too late. Unless I've had lots of sugar! Then I'm bouncing off the walls until like 3 am and then crash until noon! Totally worth it. Last time I did that, I drew a picture. I still don't know what it's supposed to be but it's high art! I'll show it to you sometime when you and Erick are besties again. Because any friend of my bruh is _my_ friend!"

Adrianna breathed a laugh. "You have a lot to say."

"Oh yeah! Everybody says I talk too much! I don't think of it that way, I think I just educate everyone around me. Like you! Did you know that leather comes in like a zillion colors if you can figure out what dyes to use? You probably knew that though, I mean you've got a _purple_ saddle." Cliff rambled, gesticulating wildly. "What's up with the purple anyway?"

"It's... it _was_ my favorite color." Adrianna emphasized. "But favorite colors are for kids. I still like it okay."

"Who says? My favorite color is yellow!" Cliff announced far too loudly. "And Erick's is totally red. I see him wearing it most of the time. He wouldn't dye so much of his clothes red if he didn't like it."

"Actually it's blue." Adrianna replied automatically. "He just wears red because that's Nikolas's favorite color and they're his old clothes."

"Ohhh." Cliff nodded. "Okay, that makes sense. Didn't take the hand me down thing into account. So is your big sister really into green and brown?"

"I don't have a sister." Adrianna said slowly, suddenly confused again.

"So why do you wear so much of it? You should wear more colors. Bet you'd look awesome in blue or red or purple or yellow-"

"What are you doing here?" came another masculine voice from just over their heads.

Cliff and Adrianna looked up to see Brandyn, his hands both grasping a plate of food each.

"Just getting to know your friend." Cliff said unabashedly. "She's cool. Hey, you could sit at my table!"

"No thanks. But I kind of need to have a bit of a private conversation with Nani so if you don't mind..." Brandyn jerked his head in the direction of the middle of the Hall.

"Never let it be said that I can't follow simple social cues." Cliff nodded politely. "But the offer still stands, Bran. See you, Anna-bear!"

"Bran _dyn._ " Brandyn said in a warning tone as Cliff scampered away. He looked at Adrianna again. "Anna-bear?"

"I guess I have a new nickname." Adrianna shrugged. "I seem to accumulate them."

"That kid is so obnoxious, sorry you had to put up with him." Brandyn said irritably.

"I think he's okay." Adrianna said dismissively as Brandyn placed her dinner in front of her. "Oh wow, they're serving all my favorites today!"

"Huh, would you look at that!" Brandyn chirped, sounding exceptionally unsurprised as he sat down across from her. "Your favorite foods, and your favorite guy-you-like-that-follows-you-around-and-ticks-off-your-dad, all in in one place."

Adrianna gave him a quizzical look. "Brandyn. What are you scheming?"

Brandyn continued as if she hadn't spoken. "And, dare I say, your favorite...boyfriend?" Adrianna's mouth dropped open. Brandyn laughed at her expression. "I was kidding," he said, and her heart seemed to fall out. "I'm your only boyfriend. Probably." She caught it again.

"P-probably my boyfriend or probably the only boyfriend I have?" She managed to choke out.

"Yes." Brandyn nodded, placing his hand atop hers.

He was being facetious, she realized, but she didn't care. This felt _so_ nice. She squeezed her boyfriend's hand. "Yes for me too."

Brandyn leaned across the table and tenderly kissed her. Her breath hitched in her throat until he finally backed away, the smile still on his face.

As they ate and talked, Adrianna felt like she was having an out-of-body experience, like there was another, much prettier girl in her place. Her boyfriend (the word itself felt foreign, too good to be true) gently rested his hand atop hers as they sat across from each other and shared some of the food from his plate. So engrossed were they in each other that they didn't even notice the Hall was empty until night had fallen and the candles were being extinguished.

"Welp, time to get home." Brandyn said at last, hopping to his feet and extending a hand to help her up as well. "Gotta get up bright and early."

"For what?" Adrianna asked. "Work? You don't go in until eleven."

"Gotta exercise! How do you think I keep up my manly physique?" Brandyn flexed dramatically, making Adrianna giggle. As they walked out of the Great Hall, he assumed an impish grin. "You know, I've been here a long time. I bet I could show you places you don't even know about."

Adrianna raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Yes it is. And I can prove it. Take..." Brandyn's eyes scanned their surroundings for a moment before they landed on a nearby shed. "Take this shed for instance. Looks pretty dilapidated. Now you might think, 'Brandyn, my man, that shed has no use, it's just a stack of rotted wood.' And this is where I'd say 'au contraire, milady, this is where they store the dragon dung for later use. It has magical properties, y'know." Adrianna had only a second to laugh at the absurdity of this statement before Brandyn yanked her over to a small nearby creek. "And _this_ is known as Hiccuping Creek. You'd think it's named after our dear leader but alas no, it precedes him by 341 years after your ancestors discovered its use as a cure for hiccups and other respiratory illnesses."

"Of course it does." Adrianna agreed with a nod. "Now what of the forge?"

"Ahh, it's a good thing you asked for that is the highlight of this little tour." Brandyn gestured to the forge as they passed it. "The forge is the most mysterious building on Berk. For when the Vikings first settled here generations ago, it was the only building they found, already fully stocked with everything they could possibly need. It was Gobber's great-great-great-great grandfather who began working here but its origins were never discovered. To this day, no one knows who built it or whether or not the treasure map they found in one of the drawers leads to a real place or if it's actually an ancient recipe for pudding."

On and on they went, Brandyn's fake history lessons getting more and more outrageous until they finally reached the Haddock house. Adrianna's heart sank; she had been having so much fun, the time seemed to have flown by in a split second.

"Aha, now this place, _this_ place is one of the most interesting places of all." Brandyn said as he pointed to the Haddock home. "You might think it's because it belongs to our all powerful chief, his amazing wife, and our erm... unique heir." he said in a dramatic voice. "But that's not why this place is the best." he turned to Adrianna and gently took her hands in his. "This is where you find the most beautiful girl on Berk."

He leaned down and their lips met. Adrianna felt a swooping sensation in her stomach as she kissed him back. This was perfection. She wanted to capture this moment and hang it on her wall to give her joy later on. But then... this was her _boyfriend_! The happy moments would keep on coming, maybe forever if she played this right.

Suddenly, a loud noise interrupted their romantic moment. Their lips separated with a tiny _pop_ and they looked around, bewildered.

"Did you see anything weird on the way here?" Adrianna asked as the sound repeated. "Because I think those are alarm bells!"

"Hm." Brandyn hummed, his smile melting into a determined frown. "Nani, maybe you should stay in the house. You're safer that way."

"I don't think so!" Adrianna said stubbornly. "Something's going on and I want to know what it is."

"Look, it's dangerous." Brandyn said in a voice that was, perhaps, a bit sharper than intended. "Your dad would want to make sure you're kept safe."

"My dad knows I'm old enough to make decisions like this on my own." Adrianna insisted. "So let's go."

* * *

Silence was bliss.

Finn lay against his bed on his stomach, face half mashed into his pillow as he listened to the crickets chirp outside. In his hand he idly rubbed the necklace Benen had made for him as he gazed out the window, listening for any sounds.

Erick was out there somewhere with the gang, preparing to pull off their biggest stunt yet. Under normal circumstances, he'd want to be out there. Usually he led the operations. But tonight he was more than happy to stay home. If they got caught tonight, he didn't want to be present. Sure, he'd probably get thrown under the wagon if they got caught, but without proof of his participation in the past hits, his father wouldn't have much to convict him on. Luckily, he'd been smart enough to not leave clues around.

A soft knock interrupted his thoughts and he lifted his head to see his mother crack the door open. "Hey," Astrid smiled as she walked in.

"Hey." Finn murmured as he relaxed once more. He watched her walk the length of the room and then slide into a sitting position against the wall beside his nightstand. Resting her arms against her knees, she watched him in silence. The teenager frowned. "What?"

"Anything you want to talk about?"

His scowl deepened and he shifted uncomfortably. "No."

"Positive?" Astrid asked lightly. "Because a little birdie told me you had a bad day."

"Little birdie has a big mouth," Finn muttered. "I'm fine."

Astrid watched him silently. "You don't look fine, Finn. What's wrong?"

"Just tired. It was a long day."

The blonde watched as her son stared at the floor next to her feet, refusing to make eye contact. She wondered how long it would take for him to crack if she stared at him long enough.

After several minutes, and a few glances in her direction, Finn finally sighed. "Helga broke up with me today."

"Oh." Astrid blinked in surprise. Of all the things she'd expected (or rather, hoped) him to say, that wasn't on the list. "I'm sorry, Finn. You were together for a long time."

Finn shrugged, a bland expression on his face. "Wouldn't have lasted forever anyway."

"Why's that?"

"Too alike, I guess. And I think she was expecting more that… I wasn't… willing to give."

Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Like?"

Finn blushed and looked away. "No no, not… not like that. Just… talking about stuff and me not… wanting to. Bunch of stuff about trust and healthy relationships."

"I see." Astrid nodded, hugging her knees. "Relationships are hard. Some people expect more after a certain amount of time, while others aren't necessarily ready. It takes a lot of communication for a relationship to thrive."

Finn gave no comment besides a halfhearted shrug. He felt a little bad acting like the breakup was the only thing that was bothering him. As if _anything_ was bothering him. The breakup had happened long after his meltdown with his father, which was surely what she'd been referring to at the beginning of the conversation. But with his mom, he felt he could at least tell her about the breakup to inform her.

"Things will be fine," Astrid amended. "Don't worry about it."

Finn snorted. "I'm not worried about anything. She was the one being… antsy."

Astrid considered his words in silence before filing them away to ponder later. Cracking her knuckles loudly, she asked, "So what about this morning? With your father in the woods?"

Finn closed his eyes and mentally sighed. "Nothing. It was nothing."

"Can't have been nothing."

"I was just having a rough morning," Finn sat up on his elbows and rubbed his eyes. "Happens to everyone now and then doesn't it?"

Astrid nodded a bit. "Yes. But I think it was a little more intense than that, wouldn't you say?"

Finn frowned at her. "You weren't there."

"No, I wasn't. But I trust your father's word."

"Yep. You would."

Fighting the scowl trying to jump onto her face, Astrid said, "Finn, I trust him with my life. I trust his judgment on many things, just about everything. He didn't concoct some story and tell me every detail to make you upset or uncomfortable. He's my husband as much as he is your dad. When he has a concern, in whatever situation it could apply, he isn't doing anything wrong by talking to me about it. Don't you think?"

Finn stared at his pillow, unwavering.

"Finn, look at me."

The teenager's blue eyes finally locked on hers. Astrid saw many things in that moment: anger, hurt, turmoil. Maybe even fear. She wanted to understand why he allowed himself to be so lost and alone. Why did he choose this? She and Hiccup were literally standing there with open arms, waiting for him to come. Why did he always turn away?

Instead of voicing these thoughts, Astrid firmly said, "Your father loves you, Finn. You're strong and smart and talented in ways that he wasn't as a teenager. He had to work hard to get where he is now, and he doesn't look at your natural talents with jealousy."

Finn swallowed, twisting his necklace on a finger. "We're so different," he muttered. "Things have been hard for so long… and he's always apologizing for things-"

"Finn, what do you want him to do?" Astrid asked gently. "No matter what he does for both of you, sometimes you look at him like he's… a burden. That's the kind of treatment he got when we were young teenagers, no matter how hard he sought approval, people always talked down to him like he was meaningless. That's the vibe that he gets from you. Like what he says or does doesn't matter. He doesn't feel... _important_ to you… because you don't give him a chance."

"He _needs_ to feel important?" Finn griped.

Astrid smirked. "People like him take great pride in others' approval, especially their loved ones."

"People like him? There's more out there?"

Astrid poked his arm. "Be nice. He takes things very personally. You and me… we're not emotional people. We prefer to get things done quickly and efficiently, no questions or comments needed. Then there's your father and Adri. They need to think through every angle and talk and ask questions and go through the steps and have a plan B and C and D. It's infuriating for sure, but," Astrid paused with a smile. "You learn to appreciate it if you give it a chance. Different isn't wrong or bad. It's just _different_."

Finn rubbed his eyes. "So your point?"

"Give him a chance, Finn." Astrid amended. "Please? This isn't about making your dad feel good about himself, I'm not saying that at all. But don't you think your relationship with him would be _so_ much different if you let him in?"

Finn gave her a sidelong glance. "I'm tired of being let down. I'm sick of empty promises."

Astrid shook her head. "He's not perfect, Finn. _We're_ not perfect. Parenting is hard; you two didn't come with a manual. Every day is different."

"I have a feeling if there was a parenting manual, he'd still mess up."

"Every parent would. Just like every child isn't going to listen to every rule that is set up, parents are going to make mistakes just as much. We're humans too." Astrid reached over and rested her hand atop of his. Finn marveled at how much smaller her hands were by comparison. He'd never noticed it before. "But the difference, Finn, is when we screw up…" His mother paused momentarily. "Try not to hold it against us. Don't be… bitter forever. We want you to be happy."

Happy. The word was practically foreign. He could barely remember what it felt like. In years, it seemed he hadn't felt joyful or laughed out loud at something so hard that it made him nearly cry. That used to happen a lot when he was younger, whether he'd made a stupid joke or a friend did something wacky. Many of those times were with Helga. Most of those times were with Benen.

Finn felt a tug in his chest. The thought of how long it had been since he felt truly _happy_ spurned a wave of loneliness and depression that he quickly quashed. He held onto the ice cold block of bitterness in his heart, reminding himself of every reason he was rightfully angry. But he could practically feel the emotional wreck in his heart begin to unfurl. He did _not_ want to cry again today.

Astrid seemed to sense his inner turmoil. Getting to her knees, she leaned forward and warmly kissed his forehead. "We're right here when you need us, Finn. Don't ever forget that."

The teenager saw her stand and move toward his door. Again, a small part of him wanted to jump up, hug her tight and tell her every one of his dark, dirty secrets. But two things stopped him: one, his pride. And two, the sound of a huge explosion a few blocks into the village.

Finn gaped at the window. What was Erick doing out there? Instead he said in fake concern, "What was that?"

"Gang!" Astrid tore out the door and pounded down the stairs.

Finn ran to the window and watched in mild fascination as the shapes of dragons and their riders flew to… wherever the explosion had taken place. It seemed to be coming from near the square. He knew the diversion was taking place and Erick was currently focused elsewhere. Then, out of the corner of his eye, somewhere near the jail, a plume of smoke rose. Finn squinted at the houses and his eyes widened.

There were houses on fire. What was Erick _doing_?

Snatching his boots and tugging them on as he nearly toppled down the stairs, Finn tore out of the house toward the barn just as Astrid and Stormfly were preparing to take off. "Mom!"

"Finn! Stay here-"

"There's a fire! Houses!" Finn pointed.

Astrid's face went slack. "That's the Thorstons. Come on!"

Taking her hand, Finn jumped into the saddle behind her. Stormfly instantly took off, racing toward the rising flames. The Haddock heir gritted his teeth together as they flew. If somebody got seriously hurt or killed, he was going to kill Erick with his bare hands.


	13. Jailbreak

Under normal circumstances, a daddy daughter date wouldn't take place after dark. But the Jorgensons weren't exactly normal. After dinner, Snotlout had asked his only daughter if she'd go on an evening flight with him as he scouted the island perimeter. Inga was ecstatic. What other kid her age was allowed to do a perimeter scout with their father?

Of course, Inga had to be careful. Though her seizures were far and few between, they still weren't sure what the trigger was. It seemed to be sporadic and out of the blue at times. Especially when flying, her parents preferred her to be in good company who'd keep an eye on her. It bugged her a bit that she couldn't just go out and do something without someone always watching her. But after the first few incidents, she'd come to accept it. She didn't want to be alone or flying a thousand feet in the air with no one to catch her if something happened.

Inga enjoyed the chilly nighttime air as they flew, Hookfang and Mystie nipping at each other and Snotlout warning them to be careful.

"Relax, dad," Inga grinned, deeply inhaling. "They're fine! Don't be such a worry wart!"

Snotlout puffed out his chest. "Worry wart? I am not!"

"You so are! By the way, you look like you haven't shaved in days."

"Oh! Wouldn't you know that's because I haven't shaved in days?" Snotlout snarked, scratching his scruffy face. Things had been so hectic the last few days, he and the other council members were pulling out all the stops to help Hiccup. He was beginning to look more worse for wear as the days dragged on, and the village couldn't afford him to crash. Unfortunately that meant the daily shave routine was put on hold.

"Mom likes it."

Snotlout smirked. "Does she now?"

"Yup," Inga nodded. "She said it was hot, as a matter of fact."

"Hm, I'll have to ask."

"If by ask you mean do something weird or awkward, you can leave me out of it."

"Erm… gladly." Snotlout swallowed, wondering just what she meant by such a statement. She was only eleven…

Finally the Jorgensons rounded the final bend, passing the large braziers standing tall in the ocean, their fires roaring in the navy darkness. Berk looked peaceful with the random torches lit around the island. Now and then Snotlout could see a guard walk down a path, carrying a torch.

As if on cue, Inga piped up, "Lotsa guards out tonight."

"Yup."

"Are they going to catch the gang?"

Snotlout pondered her words as he guided both dragons toward the square, holding up a hand in greeting to another passing guard. Hookfang and Mystie landed, stretching their wings. The Jorgenson patriarch assisted his daughter to the ground and finally replied, "Yes. That's the plan."

"Hmph." Inga crossed her arms as they began the walk home. The streets were narrower around their house so it was better to walk. Wouldn't do to crash a Monstrous Nightmare and Changewing into the neighbors' houses so late at night! "Who's in it?"

Her father glanced at her in concern. "Don't worry about it, Inga. It'll be over soon anyway."

"Well yeah, but I'll eventually know who was in it anyway, wont I? Once you catch them." Inga prompted. "So who's in it?"

"Inga…" Snotlout rubbed his face. "We don't know yet."

The girl frowned, her short dark hair falling in her face for a moment before she shoved it back. "You don't? But-"

Snotlout suddenly stuck a hand out to stop her, his eyes focused on a wall nearby. A man was silently sitting in the shadows between two barrels. If it weren't for the slight gleam of moonlight hitting his prosthetic, Snotlout would've challenged the man. Instead, he sighed and let his arm drop. "Hiccup?"

The chief waved a hand in greeting. "Hey. You two are out late."

"I let her come on patrol with me. Everything looks good." Snotlout stepped closer. "What are you doing out here?"

"Oh ya know," Hiccup glanced around the empty street. "Just keeping an eye out."

Snotlout shook his head. "You look exhausted. Go home, Hiccup. And where's Toothless?"

"Roof." Hiccup looked up. Sure enough, the Night Fury's black scales glittered in the soft moonlight and green eyes peered down at them from the edge. "And I can't go home."

"Yes, you really sh-"

Inga poked his arm. "Come on, dad, the man's got a gang to catch-"

"Sh!" Snotlout reprimanded hoarsely. "Inga-"

"Oh Mrs. Haddock totally kicked him out," Inga stated matter-of-factly.

"She did?" Snotlout asked.

"She did?" Hiccup echoed.

"Yes! I spoke with her." Inga nodded. "She said she forbade you to return home until, how did she put it… you'd 'put those fiends behind bars to suffer for their impudence.' Or something."

Hiccup blinked. "I… was not aware of such a statement."

Inga wagged her finger. "Yes, you're not allowed to go home until you catch them."

"Ha… I haven't been able to go home much anyway." Hiccup snickered.

"Which is technically no laughing matter."

"Oh pish posh Snotlout."

"Yeah, pish posh Snotlout."

Hiccup laughed out loud at the shared look between Jorgensons. "I could watch you two banter all day. It's seriously one of the most entertaining things."

"Oh shut up, Haddock, or I will bust you up."

Inga gasped. "You can't bust up the chief! What would mom say?"

Hiccup snorted. "What would mom say…"

"Hey, don't mock my daughter!"

"Mock- I'm not mocking anyone!"

"You're laughing!"

"You're laughing too!"

"I am not!"

"Inside…"

"I don't laugh and I don't cry!"

"Yes, Snotlout, I remember all the dust that has fallen into your eyes over the decades. So much dust. It's a wonder nobody's invented a dust collector by now!"

Snotlout shook a finger at him. "What- how would you even collect dust?"

Inga watched them banter like watching a ball being thrown back and forth.

"I don't know but you should invent something, 'Lout. Maybe you'll be finally recognized for contributing to the greater good!"

Inga snorted. "Ouch."

Snotlout whirled on her. "Whose side are you on?"

"Whichever makes me laugh the most."

Hiccup raised a hand. "I believe I've made her laugh the most so far."

"Eh no? I'm her father; I've spent loads more time with her since she came from the womb!"

"That's awkward…"

"I do believe I've made her laugh loads more than you!"

"Fine fine, whatever." Hiccup shook his head, snickering at Inga's disgusted expression.

"Was this kind of behavior the extent of your relationship growing up?" Inga asked. "Or is this because both of you are getting old and senile?"

"Inga!"

Hiccup snorted. "Hey, I agree with her. You're definitely getting old and senile."

"I honestly couldn't tell you which time was worse," Snotlout crossed his arms.

"It was worse when we were younger," Hiccup shook his head. "Trust me."

"Every good friendship has a rocky beginning."

"Not _every_ relationship!" Hiccup wrinkled his brow.

"Pretty much all of yours did."

Hiccup huffed. "Well aren't you a ray of sunshine."

"Hey, I just call 'em as I see 'em." Snotlout waved his hand, glancing back at Hookfang and Mystie behind them, digging into nearby fish barrels. "Apparently it's snack time?"

"Apparently."

Inga shook her head, baffled. "Both of you are loonies."

"Thank you, Miss Jorgenson." Hiccup smiled. "The best of us are, wouldn't you agree?"

Snotlout pulled his daughter back. "Keep your loony self and your loony weirdness away from her."

Inga gave him an incredulous look. "Oh please, loonies are harmless-"

Without warning, a large BOOM echoed across the village. Snotlout jerked Inga toward the wall as Hiccup jumped to his feet. Toothless and the other dragons jumped to their feet, hissing and spreading their wings in warning. A few shouts sounded from near the square.

"Here we go!" Hiccup took off. "Snotlout, come on! This is it!"

Snotlout grabbed Inga by the arms and nearly dragged her to Mystie, who pawed the ground anxiously after the explosion. "Inga, I need you to go home. Right now."

"But-"

"No buts! Go!" Snotlout jumped into Hookfang's saddle and the duo took off after Hiccup and Toothless down the street.

Inga climbed into her saddle and watched her father disappear down the dark corridor. She heard Toothless's sonic whistle as the chief flew to the scene as quickly as possible. She wanted to follow… every instinct in her body told her to go. But she really didn't want to get in trouble. With a heavy sigh, Inga turned Mystie the other direction and took off down the street, passing guards as they charged past.

Halfway to their house, Inga happened to glance down a side street across from the jail. And what she saw made her blood run cold. "Mystie! Invisible!" The Changewing instantly turned them invisible, confused but ready for action. Inga guided her dragon to climb onto the nearest roof and she watched in fascination at the scene playing out before her.

The guards in front of the jail seemed to be knocked out flat and two dragons stood on the jail rooftop while teenagers, all masked and clothed in black, furiously worked on the front door. Suddenly, it all became clear. Her father and the chief, and all the guards, were heading the opposite direction toward whatever explosion had taken place. It was a diversion!

"Jail break…" Inga whispered. "No way."

The girl thought quickly. She and Mystie could try to take them, scare the gang away or try to unmask one of them… No, she couldn't do that. Too much crazy flying and it wasn't her place. If she got to the chief and her dad fast enough, they might be able to catch them before they could leave!

Turning Mystie in the other direction, Inga pushed her to fly as hard and as fast as possible. The dragon followed her instincts, searching for the noise coming from the other side of the island. Finally, just beyond the town square, Inga saw torches lighting up an alleyway. She saw Hiccup and many others, including her father, searching the area with their dragons, weapons drawn. The building, which seemed to be the head seamstress's workplace, had a massive crater in the front. Windows were blown out, wood smoked as if it'd been lit but quickly doused. She knew the interior was probably close to destroyed. But she also knew they were running out of time.

Mystie swooped down and landed in the midst of the group. Snotlout spotted her almost instantly. "Inga!" He stomped over, irritation written all over his face. "I _told_ you-"

"It's the jail!" Inga cried out. Snotlout's face went slack and turned to Hiccup, who faced her in confusion. "Chief, this is a diversion! It's a jail break!"

Hiccup's face flushed and he growled angrily. "That's. It. Toothless!" The chief leaped into the saddle, Toothless already crouched. Instantly they took off at a vertical angle and disappeared in the darkness. Guards took off running toward the other side of the island, yelling for their dragons. Inga watched them disappear, hoping that this whole ordeal would finally be over.

* * *

Erick had never been one to act irrationally or prematurely. He liked to think his plans through and have back up plans. In order to successfully pull off his plan without being seen by the guards at the front door of the jail, he did the only logical thing he could think of that wouldn't actually harm anyone for an extended period of time.

All it took was a borrowed vial of premature Hideous Zippleback gas, which was more potent than a full-grown Zippleback's. A quick spray from a canister Hiccup had invented years ago (another "borrowed" piece of equipment), and the two heavily armed guards slumped against the wall.

Erick and Helga jumped down from the rooftop and she quickly began picking the lock. His heart pounded in his chest frantically, willing her to work faster. Just as quick as the thought entered his mind, the lock snapped open. He didn't have much time to think on her amazing lock-picking skills, for she quickly yanked him inside and ran to the back of the jail.

Erick grabbed the keys hanging up by the doorway and fumbled as he ran to Frey's cell. The keys jangled noisily as he forced the first one into the lock, while Frey watched on in bored amusement. "You could be a little louder."

"Shut up." Erick hissed. "I could leave your sorry butt in here."

Frey rolled his eyes, shaking his head at the ceiling like he knew this was a bad idea. It probably was. Lucky for him, the second key unlocked the cell. Erick flung the door open and threw the key ring at Helga across the room. The key ring landed at her feet with a loud crash, which made him cringe as he unfastened Frey's bonds.

"Hey, the keys!" Erick whispered hoarsely.

Just then, Cale's door snapped open. Helga held up two thick metal pins. Erick swore he could see her triumphant smirk from underneath her mask. Soon Cale and Frey followed them out the doorway.

A small boy dropped to the ground beside them. Young Gunnar pointed at the village emphatically. "They're coming!"

Torch lights filtered through the streets as shouts became tangible. Helga and Gunnar jumped onto her dragon quickly.

"Charger!" Erick whispered hoarsely.

The Deadly Nadder jumped to the ground and he quickly mounted, his right leg flaring painfully from the arrow wound.

Frey looked up at him in annoyance. "What about us idiot?"

"Climb up!" Erick pulled Frey into the saddle behind him. "Cale, I don't think Charger can carry three."

"You freaking kidding me?" Cale growled. "All this and you're going to make me run? No no no, you're taking me!"

Charger growled in protest when the third teenager jumped up. Erick patted his neck. "Sorry buddy… Come on, let's go!" It took a lot of effort, but eventually Charger took off. Erick tried not to be impatient and force him to go faster.

Helga and Gunnar took off behind them, both dragons retreating toward the edge of the village. Erick hoped the rest of the gang had escaped quickly from the diversion. Everyone was supposed to head home as quickly and quietly as possible once their package had been… _delivered_. Once he dropped off Cale and Frey at Mildew's, he hoped he'd be able to _get_ home!

Erick breathed a sigh of relief, his heart still pounding, but he was happy it was over. He wouldn't relax until he was safe in his bed, but- wait. What was that whistling sound? Coming from above…

"Oh gods-" Frey gasped from behind.

"SCATTER!" Erick shouted, yanking Charger to the left as hard as he could.

The Night Fury's sonic whistle echoed across the village as the duo divebombed the gang, spewing three plasma blasts toward the ground below. Erick's eyes dilated and Charger bucked in fear, squawking in terror at the sudden attack from the more dominant dragon. Hiccup and Toothless rolled out of their dive and whistled past, looping around at top speeds.

Erick guided Charger as fast as he could, but the extra weight seemed to be too much. Cale slid off the Nadder's side, clawing at anything he could hold onto. Unfortunately, the closest thing was the bridle.

The trio and dragon plummeted toward a row of buildings. Charger spewed fire, unable to control his flight pattern. "LET GO LET GO LET GO!" Erick yelled as Frey tried to yank Cale back onto the dragon's back. Just in time, Cale released the bridle and Charger pulled out of the dive. They barely skimmed the rooftop as they zoomed over, the chief and Night Fury on their tail.

Erick gasped in shock, glancing behind them. The rooftop was on fire! "Crap, crap, crap!" He muttered, dodging Hiccup and Toothless in the air and flying toward the forest as fast as possible.

But then, just as it seemed they were done for, Toothless yelped and plummeted toward the ground. Erick noticed with horror that his prosthetic tail had also caught fire. Hiccup growled angrily and forced his Night Fury to turn around, diving toward the burning house.

Guilt clawed at Erick's heart instantly. This wasn't supposed to happen. The plan hadn't gone off without a hitch like he'd hoped—not only had his actions put a family in danger, but also the chief and his dragon. What if they'd crashed and gotten killed? Every kind of excuse and justification he'd been telling himself throughout the entire day went out the window. He was a criminal. He'd broken into the jail and helped two suspects escape. Now, even if it was an accident, because of his actions, a home was burning. People lived in that house. Someone could be seriously hurt… or die.

Just like Aud.

Trembling, Erick bent over his saddle, clutching his stomach. He felt like he was going to be sick.

"Relax," Cale muttered from two seats behind him. "That fire was an accident, but it helped us get away. The chief wouldn't put us over innocent lives. You did good."

Innocent lives. Erick shook his head and yanked off the mask, throwing it into the abyss of darkness with a growl of anger. "No. I didn't."

The Larson boy pulled on his hair, feeling complete remorse and disgust for himself. Never before had he ever hated himself so much. This whole plan was his brainchild. Every strategy. In one full day, he'd joined a gang, stolen multiple items, knocked out guards, broken into the jail, helped would-be criminals escape, put his chief and leading dragon in serious danger, AND set fire to a home full of innocents. The fact that the last one was an accident didn't matter.

He shouldn't have been there. He should never have gotten involved with the gang. And now he was going to pay the price for it. Dearly.

* * *

Toothless slid onto the ground with a screech, angrily shooting a plasma blast into the ground in front of him as his rider jumped off. Hiccup raced toward the burning house, relieved to see villagers and guards already on the job. Buckets of water were thrown from the ground and dumped from the air as councilmen swooped overhead on their dragons. The flames seemed to be snuffing out, but Hiccup feared for his friends inside.

"Where's Tuffnut!" Hiccup shouted as he ran up.

"He's already inside!"

"Nobody's come out yet!"

"Well don't just stand there," Hiccup cried, turning to the flaming structure. "Let's-"

"Wait!" Snotlout grabbed his arm and pointed to the back.

Tuffnut and Svala ran around the corner, both doubled over as they coughed. Their blackened clothes smoked and their skin covered in soot. Tuffnut held a small bundle in his arms as he ran toward the group, keeping a firm hand on his wife's elbow. Hiccup ran up to them and nearly strangled them with a hug.

"Thank the gods." Hiccup sighed, pulling back. "Are you guys okay? Is Ava?"

As if on cue, Ava stirred and squeaked with discomfort. Hiccup internally sighed in relief; she seemed to be okay. Tuffnut held his baby close to his cheek, snuggling her as if someone would try to take her away. His eyes were dark with anger, but brimmed with tears. "They almost took our baby from us. She's the most precious thing we have…" Svala hugged him tightly, tears pouring down her face.

Hiccup's vision swam as rage took over his system. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a conniption so fierce. He yanked on his hair, breathing heavily as he tried to reign in his emotions. He'd find them. He'd track down every single teenager on the island, scour through them one by one to find every last gang member if it killed him.

Then, from the corner of his eye, a familiar Deadly Nadder landed and two people dropped to the ground. Astrid ran over, immediately hugging Svala. "Is everyone okay?"

Svala sniffed and nodded. "I-I think so."

"Better have Mara check you three anyway." Astrid nodded firmly. She finally seemed to notice her husband glaring in the direction she'd come. "Hicc-"

"Why is Finn here?" Hiccup interrupted, his body trembling with rage.

Astrid glanced over her shoulder as Finn timidly walked over, staring at the smoking building. She swallowed nervously, but tried to placate him. "Hiccup, I-"

"Why."

"He saw the smoke from the house." Astrid remarked flatly. "I allowed him to come."

Hiccup shook his head. "I made myself _very_ clear-"

"Dad!"

Hiccup's ears buzzed, hoping with every fiber of his being that he hadn't heard his daughter's voice.

Adrianna jogged forward, Brandyn on her heels as he tried to grab her elbow. "What happened?"

"What are _you_ doing out!" Hiccup demanded.

His daughter skidded to a halt a few feet from him, eyes wide. Too late, she seemed to take note of his body language and steam coming from his ears. "U-um…" Adrianna swallowed hard. "W-we heard an explosion and saw the smoke-"

Hiccup's pursed his lips. "That doesn't answer my question. What. Are you doing. Out."

"Nothing!" Brandyn interrupted. "We were on our way back to the house, honest!"

The chief clenched his teeth, glaring at the two. He snapped his gaze onto Finn, who stepped backwards. "Do not leave the house after dark again. Brandyn, take Adrianna and Finn home."

"Okay."

Finn scowled. "What? I don't need him-"

"Did I ASK your opinion, Finn?" Hiccup shouted. Finn flinched and then straightened with a dark look. The gathered crowd quieted a bit in the crowded street.

"Hiccup." Astrid warned.

Hiccup exhaled shakily, fighting for control. Looking between the three teenagers, he growled, "You will go home. You will go quickly and directly. You will not stop or leave the house again tonight. Do I make myself clear?"

Adrianna nodded vehemently while Brandyn grabbed her arm and instantly began walking. Finn glared at him through narrowed eyes before following them. Hiccup rested his hands on his hips, slowly exhaling through his nose.

Astrid stood in front of him with crossed arms. "I know you're upset-"

"Upset?" Hiccup snapped. "That's underestimating it a little bit, don't you think?"

"Stop interrupting me!" Astrid growled. "You haven't exactly given any orders to the kids themselves on when they should be home, so yelling at them like they knew already wasn't right."

"I made it very clear to the council to inform parents that their kids should be home at dark. My children especially should have enough sense to know what that means."

"And they made a simple mistake out of genuine worry or curiosity, or got my permission to leave!" Astrid cried. "I can vouch for Finn, he was home with me the entire time!"

"That doesn't mean anything!" Hiccup hissed. "I have at least six or seven teenagers who were outside during the attack tonight, four of which were them!"

"So they weren't directly involved in the attack. You can scratch them off the list."

Hiccup scoffed derisively. "Don't be naïve."

"Stop being mean." Astrid said in a calmer tone. "I'm not the enemy here."

The chief pursed his lips, his body shaking in time with his tapping foot. "They almost got Svala and Ava killed."

"I know."

"This _can't_ continue.

"And it won't." Astrid nodded. "We're going to end this. We'll schedule a meeting; we'll make ourselves abundantly clear to _everyone_ in the village. If they want to play dirty, we'll play dirty."

Hiccup nodded, rubbing his face and sighing heavily. "All right."

"I believe Snotlout took the Thorstons to Mara's." Astrid prompted, taking his arm. "Let's see if everyone's okay."

"Hold on a second." Hiccup walked directly to Toothless sitting in a huff nearby. "All right buddy, let's see the damage."

Toothless grumbled in annoyance, lifting his tail. Hiccup groaned. The entire prosthetic, rigging to fin, had been burned to nothing. Luckily he had many extra tails stashed away, but it was a perfectly good fin destroyed. Of course, other things had been at stake tonight besides a stupid prosthetic. Machines could be fixed and replaced. People couldn't.

"We'll get 'em next time, bud." Toothless growled in agreement. "Why don't you head home, Toothless? I'll take all this off when I get there." The Night Fury grumbled in assent before trotting off toward the bridge leading to the Haddock house.

The chief and Haddock matriarch arrived at Mara's shortly after, just in time to hear the healer's results. "-seems both of you are fine. I'll have some tea for you to drink that should be anti-inflammatory."

"Thank you." Svala rasped, clearing her throat in vain. Tuffnut sat in a chair with his elbows on his knees, watching his daughter roll around on a blanket, gnawing on her fist. She presently leaned onto one elbow too far and flipped onto her back, gazing steadily at the ceiling as if wondering where it had come from.

Mara greeted the Haddocks and smiled when Hiccup got onto the floor beside Ava, brushing his finger against her soft cheek. "Hey there, cutie."

Ava smiled at him, waving her wet fist in his face. The chief grinned, allowing her to grab his finger and put it in her mouth. Hiccup glanced up at her parents, whose faces were smiling but eyes dark with worry. "Is everything okay?" he asked in concern as Astrid sat beside him.

The Thorstons looked up at Mara, who sighed. "I have a mild concern. I'd asked Svala if she'd heard Ava cry during the fire, to which she said no. There's nothing seriously wrong with that, some babies are hard sleepers."

"And she is a hard sleeper." Svala nodded.

"But?" Astrid prompted.

"But…" Mara paused. "Watch this." From where she stood a two feet away, Mara said in a normal voice, "Ava? Ava, look over here!" Ava took no notice, but continued chewing on Hiccup's finger, studying his wedding ring with wide eyes. "Now, Hiccup, talk to her."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "Ava?" Instantly, the baby's eyes met his and she grinned. "Hey there! Watcha doin? Does that taste good?" Ava giggled, reaching up to grab his nose. "Did you get my nose? Did you get it?" Ava squealed loudly, slapping his face with a wet hand.

"Gods, the cute is killing me." Svala snickered.

Hiccup wiped his cheek off on his shoulder with a grin. "Nothing better than baby therapy after a stressful night. Anyway…" His face turned serious. "So what's your concern, Mara?"

Mara nodded. "She could hear you perfectly; she even responded to you. But me? Notice she still hasn't reacted to my voice unless I _raise_ it a little, and there," Mara smiled and waved at Ava when she turned to look. "See, there she is!" Ava smiled up at her, leaning against her elbow on one side. Astrid smiled and gave her a gentle push so she laid on her stomach. Mara sighed. "I'm just a little concerned that maybe, just _maybe_ she has a slight hearing problem."

Hiccup tapped the baby's nose. "But she's not deaf."

"No. I think that's why she gets so excited when people talk to her because she can actually hear them up close."

Astrid gave the parents a sad look. "Are you guys okay?"

Tuffnut looked at her through tired eyes. "I'm not worried about this at all. She's still perfect, she's still our baby. We'll jump every loophole necessary to take care of her. But I _won't_ tolerate the gang a second further. I'm all for destruction and crazy stunts, but this…" he shook his head. "They crossed a line that shouldn't have been approached."

Hiccup nodded. "I agree. I'm going to find them, Tuff."

"Oh I know."

The Chief smiled when Ava laid her head on the blanket, rubbing her eyes. "Looks like the late night adventures are over, huh?"

"Yep." Svala leaned down and scooped her baby into her arms.

"Do you guys need a place to stay tonight?" Astrid asked.

Mara waved her arm. "No need. I've got plenty of room right here and a few cribs. I doubt you two still have one of those lying around."

Hiccup snorted as he stood. "You never know what's in the attic."

The door presently opened and Snotlout poked his head in. "Hey, everybody in one piece?"

"More or less," Hiccup waved him in. "Did you find anything?"

"No." Snotlout huffed. "Some homemade bomb at the seamstress's place, preemie Zippleback gas knocked out the guards at the jail, locks picked, Cale and Frey busted out of jail. We have some people picking stuff out of your house, guys, but I'm not sure what's exactly salvageable."

Tuffnut shrugged. "It's just a house. We have what's important right here."

"I couldn't agree more." Hiccup nodded. "'Lout, tell the council to start spreading the word: we're having a village meeting first thing in the morning. Everyone will be present, especially the children."

"All ages?"

"All ages. Eight o'clock, I want the horns going off to meet at the Great Hall." Hiccup crossed his arms. "If it's a fight they want, they'll get it. I guarantee it."

* * *

Ordinarily, a building crammed with Vikings would be noisy and raucous. The next morning, it was eerily quiet as they all filed into the Great Hall, many looking nervous. Council members ushered the people into benches, instructing children and teenagers to sit with their families. Without preamble, the Great Hall doors scraped open and the chieftain and his Night Fury strode in. Within seconds, the Hall quieted completely.

Step- _thunk_! Step- _thunk_!Step- _thunk_!

The sounds of Hiccup's footsteps echoed through the silent Hall. Berk's leader stared forward as he walked to the center table. Finally, he slammed the broken prosthetic onto the table, causing a great crash of metal and gears and wires to echo throughout the spacious room. Villagers jumped in their seats, a few jerking away from him as if burned.

Hiccup turned in a circle, hands on his hips. Green eyes glancing across the crowd, he began to slowly walk through the aisles. Few could withstand eye contact with the chief. Many trembled. Inga shrunk away from him as he walked past. Gone was the fun, easy-going man she'd joked with last night with her father. This man... he was completely and irrevocably dangerous. The chieftain finally stopped toward the front, the final sound of his prosthetic scraping to a halt and echoing in the silence. Hiccup stiffly crossed his arms and looked around.

A tremor passed through the crowd when he finally spoke. "If you are between the ages of ten and eighteen, stand up." His voice was soft but commanding. Immediately, adolescents around the room began to a stand, Inga included, but a few looked at their parents or remained seated in confusion. "Everyone." Hiccup reinforced in a firmer voice. Instantly, the remaining teenagers stood.

The teenagers tensed as their chief began to steadily move through the aisles again, pausing now and then to look a young man or woman in the eye. Cliff visibly shook and leaned toward his parents when Hiccup stopped to stare at him. Inga could almost see the blood drain from the boy's face. Hiccup moved on and Cliff relaxed, his mother resting her hand on his arm. Inga's eyes widened in surprise when Hiccup stopped in front of his own two children. Adrianna's green eyes widened when he looked at her, her knuckles white in Brandyn's grip. Brandyn swallowed thickly and held the chief's gaze. And when Hiccup looked at Finn, the teen's shoulders tensed. Hiccup gradually moved on, the trio nearly sighing in relief.

The chief stopped at the center table, Toothless sniffing his arm. The dragon went ignored, which was surprising. Finally, Hiccup spoke: "In my entire lifetime of living on this island, I don't think I've ever met a bunch of inappropriate, irresponsible, completely ridiculous group of teenagers other than the one standing before me today. I'm going to be honest right now." Hiccup stepped forward. "For those of you in the gang, you'd save yourself loads... and I do mean _loads_ of trouble for yourself, if you come clean _right now_."

Hiccup waited. He seemed to stare every adolescent down, many dropping their eyes or stepping closer to their parents. Inga grabbed Heather's hand, who squeezed it reassuringly.

Hiccup smirked and broke the silence. "Oh how the proud will fall." he said in a low voice that nonetheless echoed through the silent Hall. ""I want to take this moment to assure all of you in this hall, both those in the gang and those who are not, that we _will_ round up every last one of you." Hiccup began walking through the aisles again, making eye contact with every teen he came across. "Doubt me? Dare to oppose me further?" Hiccup asked, his voice rising steadily. "That's good, because I've got plans for you, so everyone listen up! Nobody in this age group goes out after dark. _Nobody_! For those of you working, you get home after dinner and that's _it_ , lights out. Your curfew is 9 o'clock. If I find anybody outside after that, you're being brought to my doorstep and I'll personally put you in a cell for questioning." Hiccup waved a hand. "Oh and for the few smart-alecs out there, if you need a midnight outhouse trip, you'd be very wise to inform your parents or hold it all night because I _won't_ _tolerate_ this another night. Oh, is that unfair?" Hiccup asked loudly. "Shouldn't it be up to my parents to decide what I can and can't do? Or, I'm 16, I can do what I want? Clearly some of your parents aren't doing a good enough job keeping track of their children, but you know what I think? I don't think it's your parents' fault. You want to play a game like this with adults, you want respect and adults to treat you like you know everything, then let's play the game, boys and girls. You want to be adults, I'll TREAT you like them!" Hiccup's voice rang out, teenagers whimpering. Many younger girls were crying. Hiccup exhaled heavily, his voice shaky with suppressed rage. "Obviously not every teenager here is guilty. You know who you are. And obviously I've allowed for a wider age bracket to give some of you younger Hooligans a taste of what will happen if you act this way in a couple of years. To those who are in the gang, I make you this promise: you almost killed a defenseless, innocent child yesterday. I. _Will_. Find. You."

Many other adults added their affirmations.

"That's right."

"Good."

Hiccup sauntered back to the front, where the burnt tail fin lay on the table. He held it up so that everyone could see it. "Suppose the tail fin represents the village. Strong, durable, reliable. Weathered many storms. But, for a village to work properly," Hiccup flipped the prosthetic over as he was talking and began to yank out its parts, tossing them on the floor. The kids and teens gasped in shock. "You need to have reliable parts!" the chief continued to walk around, still pulling the tail fin apart. Wires, gears, and springs fell around his feet and rolled under tables. "You can't have a strong and reliable machine if you tear. Apart. The structure." He paused, allowing his words to sink in, before continuing. "Let's play a game! Do you guys like games? You're kids, sure you do!" Hiccup rifled through the pieces before pulling out one of them and holding it up. "What is this? Any engineers out there?" Silence rang through the hall. "Come on, what is this? You don't really have to be an engineer to know what this is-"

"A spring." A teenage boy answered nearby.

"Thank you. How about this?" he held up another piece.

"A gear." said Mila Ingerman tentatively.

"Excellent. I knew you all weren't without some intelligence." Hiccup smirked at the bewildered expressions on several teens' faces. "Now, with these pieces missing, do you think this tail fin will function properly?"

"Not if it's burnt." Dana quipped unabashedly.

Hiccup let out a fake chortle. "Very funny. We've got some good thinkers in this crowd. If it weren't for the rebellious outbreak, this could be our most intelligent, promising generation." Hiccup suddenly yanked off the connecting rod and waved it around for all to see, tossing the ruined prosthetic back on the table. "Now, I know you all know what this is. You're a clever group."

"Connecting rod." Adrianna mumbled, still audible in the silence.

"Another correct answer." Hiccup nodded to his daughter. "So, when you tear apart the structure, the thing holding the entire piece together," Hiccup suddenly snapped the connecting rod in half, making several people flinch. "Everything. Crumbles." Dead silence. Hiccup quietly turned in a circle and asked, "Anyone want to venture a guess as to _who_ the connecting rod is? Or the other parts that make the village function?" More silence followed this question. "That would be me. And the council. Many of _your_ parents and grandparents. Tell me, I'm curious: what exactly was the plan once you got past us? Do any of you know?" Hiccup tossed his head with a smirk. "Because when I find you, you'd _better_ have a good answer. Try to touch my village again." Hiccup said firmly. "I _dare_ you to try. Because next time, Toothless won't miss." The Night Fury snarled loudly, causing a few teenagers to back away with a gasp. Cliff's heel caught the bench and he toppled over, falling between his parents. Hiccup pointed toward the doorway with the broken connecting rod pieces in his hand. "Teenagers and anyone with small children, you may leave now. Parents of teens, stay a few more minutes please. Go on!" Teenagers nearly ran out of the room, skirting past him like he might grab them. "Oh, and teens?" The teenagers looked back at him from the doorway. Hiccup smirked. "I have eyes everywhere. No funny business while I'm cooped up in here with your parents."

Several teens nodded as they crowded the door, everyone wanting to get out as quickly as possible. As soon as the Great Hall doors shut behind them, Finn made a beeline to Erick.

"Hey, buddy." he said in a voice that was uncharacteristically friendly. "I gotta question for you. C'mon, it'll just be a second."

Erick tensed but followed Finn, the boy's strong arm steering him to the opening to the woods. He knew they wouldn't be seen or overheard here.

"Finn, I can't do this anymore." he whispered the moment they stopped moving.

"Anymore? You were in it for a day and you did fine." Finn lightly punched his shoulder. "I told you, the first hit is the hardest. You're over the hurdle. No backing out now."

"I almost killed a baby _and_ your dad!" Erick hoarsely whispered back, looking around to make sure no one was approaching. "That's got to be a record."

Finn scoffed. "Come on Erick, they're both completely fine, I checked!"

"You can't be serious about this! You want to keep this up after... after _that_? I thought he was going to kill somebody!"

Finn rolled his eyes. "Words. All bark and no bite-"

"He wasn't dive-bombing _you_ yesterday!" Erick shook his head. "I'm out, Finn. I think we should just come clean to Hiccup to avoid this whole-"

"You know, I really wasn't a hundred percent sure you would stick around." Finn said in a low voice, his face splitting into a malevolent smirk. "I thought it through. I made sure I was ready just in case this conversation ever happened. And I don't want to have to do this..." he sighed dramatically, "but you don't give me a choice."

"Look, I know I'm in trouble, but I really don't think you could find a way to rat me out without incriminating yourself."

"Oh, I know. That's why I don't plan to. Erick, you're staying in the gang, whether you like it or not, and you're not going to say a word to my father about it." Finn said menacingly.

"What makes you so sure?" Erick asked, his heart rate quickening.

"Because I know you still care about my sister." Finn said, his smirk widening. "And it would be a real shame if something happened to her."

Erick choked on air. "You wouldn't dare. Hiccup would skin you alive!"

Finn let out a derisive but quiet laugh. "Thing about my sister is that she's easy to mess with and easy to manipulate. My father would never know. And I don't think he'd be too forgiving if his little girl got hurt and you could have prevented it."

Erick shook his head and took a step back. "You're a monster, Finn. I honestly don't know what happened to you."

"Yeah, and look at you." Finn spat. "You look so terrible and depressed, it's a wonder you haven't killed yourself."

Erick's back hit a tree trunk. The words echoed in his mind until he felt like his head might explode. Gritting his teeth, he forced the words out. "She's your sister!"

"And Nikolas is your brother but I know you wouldn't raise a finger if I went after him."

Erick pursed his lips, hating himself for not having a retort. "I wouldn't _want_ you to-"

"Yeah and I don't _want_ to mess with my sister." Finn shrugged. "Point is, family loyalty can only get you so far and honestly, Anna is a gigantic pain. I have no qualms about doing as much as it takes to keep you in line."

Erick's arms trembled at his sides. He wanted to punch the other teen in the face _so_ badly. "If you lay a hand on her, I'll-"

"You'll what?" Finn let out another laugh. "You never were violent. Save it. Wouldn't want those arms to start bleeding."

Erick looked away. "Get away from me."

"Gladly. But if you want my sister to stay safe, you'll keep doing exactly what I say." Finn narrowed his eyes at the boy before turning on his heel and marching in the other direction.

Erick slumped to the ground and buried his face in his hands. Finn's words echoed through his mind. Why _didn't_ he kill himself? Why did he allow himself to live through this miserable existence, to make choices so stupid he put himself, the village, and his former best friend in danger? Erick's chest tightened until he felt it might tear open. His shoulders shook with the suppressed sobs. He wondered if there was a point anymore. Why was he still here? The snap of a branch pulled him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see Charger slowly approaching. Instantly, the knot in his stomach loosened slightly as he reached out his arms and allowed his dragon to tentatively walk over and lean down. He patted Charger's snout affectionately, feeling a rush of appreciation for his dragon.

"You still believe in me." he whispered affectionately. Charger cooed and snuggled into Erick's arms. "Thanks, buddy."

When the green Nadder leaned in closer, Erick threw his arms around his dragons neck and cried. The dragon crooned sadly, shuffling to wrap his boy in his wing. Erick didn't know what to do about anything anymore. He didn't know of anyone who cared. But at least his dragon still loved him. At least it was a shoulder to cry on.

For now.

* * *

Hiccup spent his day after the meeting assuring some of the youngest Hooligans that he didn't intend to put them all in jail just because they were within the age bracket. Later that night, Astrid became worried when he didn't return home and, after giving her children strict orders to stay put, met up with Gobber to look for him. As soon as they walked into the Great Hall, Gobber spoke up.

"Looks like we found him." Gobber said, pointing to the corner of the Hall.

Astrid looked over to find her husband sitting in the farthest corner from the front doors. He was seated in front of a chess board, his eyes locked onto the pieces as if he was having a deep conversation with them. His wife crept forward almost cautiously. She didn't want to break his concentration but she wasn't altogether sure what he was doing.

"Hey." she said when she had come close enough to be in earshot.

Hiccup looked up, his bloodshot green eyes meeting his wife's instantly. "Oh, hey. Sorry, I... what time is it?"

"Almost eleven." Astrid seated herself across from him.

"Gods, that late?" Hiccup looked over at the two or three remaining workers in the Hall. "You can go home now." he called to them. "I'll close this place up." As they thanked him and left, he turned back to the chessboard. "I'm just trying to figure this out."

"Figure what out?" Gobber asked, picking up a pawn and staring at it. "You can't play chess by yourself. Not if you want to have any fun."

"I'm not playing." Hiccup said darkly. "I want to end this." he picked up the opposing king and stared long and hard at it. "This," he said, pointing to Astrid with the piece, " _this_ is what we're looking for."

Astrid raised an eyebrow. "A king?"

" _The_ king." Hiccup corrected. "The gang is clearly hiding someone, protecting someone. Something tells me that if we find him, or her I guess, we'll be able to topple this thing once and for all."

"You're sure Cale isn't the king?" Astrid asked. "He's got the attitude."

Hiccup shook his head. "He's the queen. Dangerous, aggressive, probably at the right hand of the leader, but not the leader himself." Hiccup placed a finger atop the queen piece. "We had him too. If we'd just been able to hold onto him..." he sighed and turned back to the king.

"And Evan?"

"A pawn." Hiccup replied. "He didn't know much, he was just around to do the dirty work no one else wanted to do. He was probably allowed in only because he works at the winery. Not much brains."

"So what was Frey?"

"A rook." Hiccup pointed to the rook positioned just next to Astrid's right elbow. "Not much strategy, just someone who can attack where the king and queen want him. He's got the brawn but not the brains. What we need," Hiccup continued with rising interest, "is a _knight_."

"A knight?" Astrid picked up one of the knights on the board. "Why do we need a knight?"

"Knights are strategists. Surprise attackers. Their moves are less predictable. I suppose we could benefit from a bishop too but they're a bit more straightforward in their planning."

"Are you sure you're not taking this analogy a bit too far?" Gobber piped up.

"If we want to catch them at their own game, we need to figure out what game that is." Hiccup said, his eyes not wavering from the board.

"Do you really think a group of teenagers is that organized?" Astrid added.

"Yes. Maybe not exactly like this chessboard but they've got a strategy similar enough to be comparable. They're all in this together to protect the king. We get the king and the whole gang unravels. Checkmate." Hiccup flicked the piece over with his finger.

"Well," Astrid looked over at the pieces closer to her husband, "what about our side?"

"I've got that all worked out." Hiccup smiled craftily. "You and I are the queen. We want to be just as stealthy, as powerful, as crafty as that piece. We're Cale's equals. Gobber, you and Snotlout are the bishops. We need you to be very careful and not let on too much. Fishlegs and Horst are our knights, they're our best strategists. Ruff and Tuff are our rooks, our raw muscle."

"And the king?"

The smile melted off Hiccup's face. "The king is the piece that must be protected at all costs." he stated slowly. "Therefore our king is our innocent villagers caught up in this ridiculous game."

"So what do we do in the meantime?" Astrid inspected the queen piece now, silently pleased that she had such a big role in this operation.

"Well we'll have to call the chess club together as soon as possible, won't we?" Hiccup finally looked up at her, his eyes aglow with a sort of manic excitement. "We have a choice, Astrid, we can either lie down and let the other team play us like a bunch of disposable pawns or we can strategize and take out as many of them as we can. Throw them in jail, make them do community service, try to reason with them because the closer we get to the king, the closer we are to ending this game."

"And losing isn't an option." Astrid added gravely.


	14. The Knight's Lament

****Hiccup's whole body felt heavy and sore as he walked up the steps to the Great Hall early that morning. He knew for sure that he definitely didn't enjoy patrolling until it was time for breakfast. But he also knew that to catch the gang in action, he was going to have to put in the extra effort. Stretching his muscles for the umpteenth time, he finally traipsed into the Hall and made a beeline to a table containing several council members.

"Nah, I agree with you." Ruffnut was saying as Hiccup came within hearing distance to the table. "If he doesn't get it soon, he'll get even more grouchy."

"Yeah but we have to be subtle." Fishlegs added.

"This is going to be tricky. We'll need all of our skills of stealth and- hi, Hiccup!" Tuffnut chirped in a voice filled with false cheerfulness. "We weren't talking about you!"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Yeah we were talking about Sven!" Ruffnut exclaimed, thumping Sven on the back as he choked in response.

"I'm too tired to even ask." Hiccup collapsed on the bench and put his head in his hands. "I thought caring for restless newborns was difficult but staying up half the night almost every night? I'll take the diaper changes and 2 am feedings again."

"Don't remind me." Tuffnut put his fingers to his temples as if warding off a headache. "I'm still trying to forget about last night's blowout."

"Oh yeah, we've all been there, buddy." Astrid said with a smirk as she walked up to the table and sat down next to her husband.

"Try a double blowout." Snotlout scowled.

"At 3 am when you haven't managed to fall asleep yet." Astrid added.

"Well if I see our mom," Tuffnut said to Ruffnut, "I'll be sure to apologize and get her a big bouquet of flowers."

"Yeah that might actually get the last traces of the smell out of the house." Snotlout quipped, earning himself a playful smack on the arm from Heather.

"Anyway," Hiccup drew out the word to get everyone's attention. "It was a complete waste of time. Nothing happened last night."

"Well we can't expect them to attack with half the village on alert." Astrid said through a sigh. "The issue is that they're obviously adjusting their strategy based on ours."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Hiccup pressed his palms into his eyes until little lights flashed in his vision. "They're anticipating our moves. It's a battle of wits between us and whoever is in charge. Gods, I wish I could know that much. All I can figure is that he or she is pretty clever. And we've got a lot of clever teens here, including our kids."

Snotlout tensed. "If you're implying that Inga, Dustin, or Vidar are involved-"

"No, I've pretty much ruled them out. I doubt a gang with people like Cale and Frey would allow kids that young to participate." Hiccup said, running his fingers through his hair.

"Well I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure Ava isn't involved either." Tuffnut announced, looking suspiciously at his daughter in Svala's arms. "But she does look suspect sometimes. I'll have to keep an eye on her." The baby squealed and giggled in response to her daddy's voice, making everyone at the table smile.

"No, Ava's not involved either." Hiccup grumbled. "And neither is anyone under thirteen, I'm thinking."

"But that means you're suspecting your own kids." Heather stated. "Do you really think they could have anything to do with it?"

"Anna in a gang? I doubt it." Snotlout chortled. "About the only group she'd join is a book club."

"Yeah, I don't think Addie's got anything to do with it." Hiccup agreed. "Finn, on the other hand..."

"Finn I could believe." Astrid continued. "He's got the attitude for it. And the temper."

"But we can't just jump in and expect him to confess." Fishlegs furrowed his brow in thought. "We can't do that with any of our kids. We have to be delicate."

"Have you thought about what you would do if it turns out your kids are involved?" Heather asked almost tentatively, looking at Hiccup and Astrid and at Fishlegs and Ruffnut. "I mean you've got to crack down but I don't think you should banish them or anything."

"No, banishment would be a bad idea. Teenagers can be stupid but that doesn't mean they'll stay stupid. Banishment could create another Trista and no one wants that." Astrid said in a low voice, frowning when Hiccup visibly flinched at the name.

"She's right. We've got be be careful with how we handle the whole situation." Hiccup stretched his arms out as high as they would go and yawned. "But eventually, I've got to get some sleep."

"You should take a nap." Astrid said, rubbing Hiccup's back. "I can handle it for a bit."

"I'll never wake up." Hiccup sighed, not feeling any more rested. "Coffee's all I need, I'll wake up."

"I'm not convinced you wouldn't bleed coffee at this point." Astrid frowned. "All that caffeine isn't good for you."

Hiccup made a grumbling sound in his throat but finally acquiesced. "Okay, fine. Just a nap."

"I'll be in to wake you up at noon." Astrid promised as he slowly stood up.

As he walked through the Hall, Hiccup noticed his daughter sitting next to Brandyn, her hand clasped in his. He might have intervened but at this point, he'd be willing to let a yak stampede through town. _Okay_ , he thought, _maybe I am too tired for work_.

Sleep would have to wait, however, because the moment he got outside, he spotted a bright green blur speeding past him. It was a split second before he registered what it was.

"Sharpshot!" he exclaimed, hoping the tiny dragon would hear him. "Here boy!"

The Terrible Terror skidded to a halt in midair and turned around rapidly to avoid losing altitude. Hiccup looked around to make sure no teens were present before inspecting the dragon for a message.

"Let's see what those nut-jobs have got you delivering, eh buddy?" Hiccup said soothingly as he found a tiny note attached to Sharpshot's leg.

It was a fairly short note and the handwriting was definitely disguised but Hiccup stared intently at it.

_No hits for a while. Too much surveillance. CH is already suspicious._

_-LE_

_OK._

"Hmm." Hiccup hummed to himself as he read the note again. His tiredness forgotten, he fed Sharpshot a treat and sauntered back into the Great Hall.

"Woah! It's noon already?" Tuffnut stared at him with wide eyes as he sat back down at the table. "Time sure flies now that we're getting old."

"What? No." Hiccup shook his head. "Look."

They all crowded around him to read the note. Fishlegs was the first to speak once they had all mulled the words over for a few seconds.

"Who's LE?" he asked. "Do we know of a teenager whose initials are LE?"

"Law enforcement!" Ruffnut piped up. "This is from one of your guys!"

"Great, ol' Law and I should go get a drink." Hiccup deadpanned exasperatedly. "I think it's a person, not a concept."

"Lulu Ellenbogen!" Tuffnut shouted, making them all jump. "I knew she was trouble!"

"Your imaginary girlfriend from when we were twelve?" Snotlout rolled his eyes.

"She was not imaginary, she was invisible! And she was very sensitive about that, you hurt her feelings by bringing it up so much!"

"Moving on!" Hiccup snapped at his bickering friends. "There's something off about these letters."

"They're smudged a bit." Astrid pointed out a few small smudges on the page. "LE is a lefty. But whoever wrote 'OK' isn't."

"True. So we're looking for a left-handed LE. And... someone else." Fishlegs sighed. "That doesn't really narrow down the search too much. And who is CH?"

"Chief Hiccup." Tuffnut replied automatically.

Hiccup opened his mouth to retort but then considered his friend's words. "Actually... you're probably right. How'd you figure that?"

"Well duh, it's your name." Ruffnut said as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Uhh... no." Hiccup raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah it is. Chief Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third: Dragon Conqueror, Slap Bet Winner, Stable Boy-"

" _Stable boy_?" Hiccup cut her off. "When was I ever a stable boy?"

"When we had our own island." Ruffnut nudged her brother. "Can't believe he forgot about that."

"That never happened." Hiccup sighed, trying to be as patient as possible.

"Of _course_ it did." Tuffnut insisted. "Or... did we just dream that?"

"Yeah, you definitely dreamed that. I'd remember you two getting your own island." Astrid pointed to the note. "But back to the topic at hand."

"I think our best clue is that this was written by a lefty." Fishlegs said thoughtfully. "Not as many of them."

"That's true. It wasn't any of our kids." Hiccup stated, peering at the words through narrowed eyes. "Could have been Thorein maybe. Or Morgan or..." his eyes widened.

"Or who?" Astrid asked tentatively after several silent seconds.

"Erick." Hiccup looked up and met her gaze. "Flip the letters and it's Erick's initials."

"Nah, Erick wouldn't do anything that stupid." Snotlout vehemently shook his head. "He's a good kid."

"Yeah, he is." Fishlegs agreed. "But he also just lost his sister and brother-in-law."

"And his girlfriend." Svala added.

"And his mother blames him for what happened to his sister." Astrid told them.

"But he's also smart enough to come up with coherent strategies." Hiccup ran his fingers over his face. "Gods, how did I miss this? It makes perfect sense. He always used to talk to me about some of the mechanical books he found at the library. Helped me with a couple of inventions. I bet you anything he knows how to pick a lock."

"And the guards said the kid who stole the Terror was skinny." Fishlegs continued.

"I'll go talk to him." Hiccup said, beginning to rise from his seat.

"No." Astrid said firmly. "I'll talk to him on his lunch break. Better to talk to him alone. You go home and get some rest."

"Astrid-"

"No ifs, ands, or buts." Astrid insisted. "Off you go. The rest of you all, go to work as normal. I've got this."

"You sure?" asked Fishlegs.

"Positive." Astrid said with a confident smile. "He knows me. I don't think he'll be any trouble."

* * *

The leather shop had dark windows, which wasn't unusual for the middle of the day. Astrid looked around to see Horst eating lunch with his daughter. Another glance revealed Cliff sitting on the side of the town square, leaning on his dragon as he ate his lunch alone. But Erick was nowhere to be seen. The Haddock matriarch turned toward the leather shop and pushed open the door.

"Erick?" she called tentatively into the dim room lined with saddles, belts, and miscellaneous leather clothing items.

If she hadn't heard a slight scuffle in the back room, she'd have left. Astrid immediately bounded forward and opened the door to find Erick, seated with his back to her and clearly fumbling with something she couldn't see.

"Hey, it's okay." she said, holding out her hands in a placating manner. "I didn't mean to startle you, I'm sorry."

"N-no, it's fine." Erick said in a slightly higher register. "But I was just... having some alone time and I don't feel like-"

Astrid strode forward until she was looking over his shoulder."Look, I really don't want to bug you but Hiccup and I-" she faltered suddenly when she caught sight of the dagger on the table that was dripping with what looked horribly like blood. "What... Erick?"

Erick roughly shoved his sleeves further down as he turned around, finally looking her in the eye. "Don't! Don't come any closer!" he said sharply.

"What..." Astrid's eyes flicked downward and she gasped at the sight of blood dripping from Erick's fingers. "Erick, what happened?"

"Nothing." Erick mumbled through gritted teeth. "Just go away. I'm fine."

"No, you're not." Astrid said in a gentle tone, slowly stepping forward to get a better look. Erick visibly tensed. "It's okay. All right?" she reached out and gently grasped his arm, holding on despite his weak attempts to pull away. "I just want to see-"

"Let me go!" Erick snapped, attempting to yank his arm out of Astrid's firm grasp.

"Erick!" Astrid said sharply. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them and saying, in a considerably more maternal tone, "Let me see."

Erick's arm finally slackened in her grip. Slowly, she pulled the bloody sleeve up to reveal several long, deep red gashes up and down his arms. Blood oozed onto her hands and she inspected it. Astrid's eyes widened and she gasped in horror. Erick finally yanked his hand away.

"Just say it and get it over with." he snarled defensively.

"Say... what?"

"That I disgust you. That I'm... a coward." he replied almost scathingly, glancing down at his mangled arm with an angry scowl.

"I wasn't thinking that at all." Astrid said breathlessly, her eyes locked onto the boy's cuts and her heart freezing in her chest.

"Sure you weren't." Erick grumbled.

"No, I... I just don't know what to say." Astrid finally looked into those angry teal eyes. "I'm just... how long has this been going on?"

Erick made a huffing sound and pulled up his other sleeve to reveal dark scabs from his wrist to his inner elbow, some of which were still bleeding lightly. "Long enough to switch arms."

Astrid's body shook with suppressed horror. Fear rose in her and for one crazy moment, she felt like fleeing the shop and going for Mara, who would surely know what to do for this boy. In her entire life, a life which included its fair share of emotional agony, she had never once considered that anyone would consider damaging himself to cope with his own pain. The sight of Erick's bleeding arms frightened her more than any injury she had ever seen, including her husband's stump or her son's broken arm nine years before. But this boy she had watched grow up had reached a level of pain that seemed beyond her comprehension. Her heart ached as she looked into his eyes, which seemed to be crying out for help beneath the angry facade behind which Erick hid.

Finally, after a few seconds of silence, she shakily exhaled. "All right, umm..." her mind suddenly raced for the right words to say when she remembered the healing kit she'd taken to carrying since Finn had learned to walk. "I... I have a kit here, let me just-"

"No!" Erick took a step back and vehemently shook his head.

"Y-you're going to get infected."

"You're not putting anything on it!" Erick insisted.

"Why not?"

"Because this is what I deserve for all the things I've done!" Erick bellowed suddenly, making her jump. " I _deserve_ this! And nothing you can do is going to change that!"

"Deserve... why?" Astrid tentatively stepped forward, her arms spread out in what she hoped was a placating gesture. "Sweetie, just... just sit down, okay? Talk to me."

His arms trembling, Erick backed away. "N-no. No, no, no, I'm not going to have a discussion about my problems. Just go away!"

"Erick, honey-" Erick buried his face in his hands as Astrid slowly stepped forward. "Hey, I want to help."

"You can't." Erick said in a muffled voice.

"Yes, I can-"

"Don't you get it?" Erick suddenly bellowed, his head shooting out of his hands so he could glare coldly at Astrid. "Nobody can help me! I'm a lost cause! The stupid, runty kid no one cares about. Just go away, Astrid!"

"No!" Astrid spoke over him in far too sharp a voice, making Erick jerk back in surprise. She took a deep breath before continuing in a gentler tone. "No. I'm not going anywhere. And you can't make me."

"You can't make me talk."

"Then I guess we'll just stare at each other for a while." Astrid took another deep breath, her eyes flitting to the still bleeding cuts on his arms. She looked back up into his eyes, hoping her face showed the compassion she felt for this boy. "Please, just let me wrap those up."

Erick pinned his arms to his side. "No."

"Erick-"

"I will _bleed_ to death before I let you do anything." Erick said scathingly, finally averting her gaze.

"Okay." Astrid reached into her belt and pulled out a roll of clean bandages from the healing kit. "I'll let you do it. It's something, right? Here." she held out the roll of bandages.

Erick glared at the outstretched roll, shaking his head slowly. "Pointless."

Astrid held it out farther. "You don't want them getting inf-"

"They're already infected, Astrid. I'm not stupid." Erick snapped.

Astrid shook her head. "No, they're not, but they're close." she extended the roll even farther. "Here, please take it."

Erick stared at the roll for several seconds before finally taking it. Astrid watched as he fumbled with it in an attempt to unroll it. The once white bandages were smeared with his blood in seconds as his stiff arms and shaking fingers tried to work together but it was no use. Astrid forced herself to stay seated as Erick's face pinched in frustration, his arms and hands apparently not obeying his brain's desperate orders. The boy's face reddened in anger and his eyes brimmed with tears until he finally flopped down onto a nearby chair and buried his face in his hands, the roll dropping to the floor.

Astrid slowly reached down and picked up the roll. She pulled up a chair and sat down across from Erick, tenderly grasping his arm and pulling it down so that she could wrap it herself. Erick did not struggle but his shoulders shook and tears streaked down his face. The Haddock matriarch wrapped his arms as gently as she could before sliding down the clean bandages and taking his hands in hers.

"Erick," she asked sadly, finally leaning down so that she could look him in the eye, "what's wrong?"

The Larson boy finally let out a sob and hid his face in his hands. Astrid immediately leaned forward and wrapped him in her arms, allowing him to cry into her shoulder. For a moment, it was completely silent except for the sound of Erick's hoarse and muffled sobs.

"I... they said give it t-time." he whimpered. "But I d-did and it s-still hurts."

"I know." Astrid whispered, holding him tightly. "I know it does."

"I m-miss my dad. My sister. Why?" Erick wept. "Wh-what did I do to d-deserve this?"

"Erick," Astrid whispered, gently pulling him out of the hug so that she could wipe his tears away with her thumbs. Her heart broke at the expression on his face. She had never seen him so broken. "Sometimes very bad things happen to good people. I know you've heard that before but I've seen it with my own eyes many times. You didn't do anything."

Erick sniffed loudly. "It's my fault."

"No. No, it's nobody's fault. Aud and Curt... that was an accident, Erick. And your father, he fought that sickness so hard and his body just couldn't take it anymore. That was _never_ your fault." Astrid responded, tenderly brushing his bangs out from in front of his eyes.

"I wanted him to go on the trip with me-"

"Which wasn't a bad thing." Astrid reminded him. "You couldn't have known what was going to happen."

"It hurts _so_ much." Erick shook his head. "I can't..."

"I know, Erick. I know what it's like to want someone so badly, it tears you up inside." Astrid wiped his tears again, her heart heavy with sadness for the Larson boy.

"How could you understand?"

"I've lost people too. My brother, my mom... my dad." Astrid's voice shook. "But what hurts the most..." she bowed her head, her heart leaving her chest to pound in her ears. "I... I haven't told anyone this, Erick. Not Finn, not Adri." she paused, gritting her teeth in an attempt to steel herself for what she was about to say. Finally she looked up at him again. "When Finn and Adri were little, I... I lost a baby."

"What?" Erick looked up and met her gaze. "Why... why didn't you..."

"Hiccup didn't want to tell anyone." Astrid explained, her voice trembling. "When we found out I was pregnant, we didn't say anything in case... well, in case this happened." She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. She couldn't believe she was telling this story after so many years of keeping it to herself. "Everything was going well. I'd just started to feel movements and Hiccup was getting excited but one day, it just... stopped." her eyes burned with her own tears but she forced herself to continue. "It was a little boy. He wasn't big enough to survive. He wasn't..." she trailed off, wiping tears from her eyes. "I was so angry for a long time. But that was the year Adri got kidnapped and after that, I realized that I was spending so much time wanting the child I lost that I wasn't appreciating the ones I have." Astrid reached down and squeezed Erick's hand. "I know what it's like. To want a certain person in your life _so_ badly that it consumes you. That you can't be happy again. But when you let that take over, you lose sight of what's in front of you. Of who's still there."

Erick sniffed and wiped his nose, averting her gaze again to stare instead of his hand clasped in hers. "You had that. I don't. My mom and Nik and his wife don't care what happens to me. I spend all my free time in my room hiding from them because I'm too weak to... I can't just get over it. Magnus won't let me see her kids anymore because she doesn't trust me." Erick's lip wobbled slightly as he spoke. "I haven't _really_ spoken to Anna in years because I'm such an _idiot_."

"That's where you're wrong." Astrid gently countered.

Erick smirked slightly through his tears. "And apparently I can't even explain my situation right either because I'm wrong there too."

Astrid shook her head. "No, I... we do care, Erick. Me, Hiccup, Adri."

"Anna doesn't care about me."

"She does." Astrid placed her fingers on his chin and lifted it so he was staring at her. "She still has that picture you drew her on her wall. Never could bring herself to take it down."

"It's... it's just a picture..."

"That simple picture was the beginning of the best friendship either of you have ever had. She wouldn't let it end that easily. She couldn't if she tried." Erick stared silently at her, tears still dripping down his face. "I know my daughter. She's every bit as stubborn as her dad. As me. Got it from us both. And she hasn't given up. When she loves someone, she loves them with her heart and soul. That's why I know she and Hiccup will work their issues out one day. And so will you."

Erick rubbed his face, drying it of the excess tears. "She wouldn't want to be friends with me. I mean, look at me!" he gestured to his bandaged arms. "I'm sure that's not even the worst of it."

"She's a mess herself. That's why you two worked so well." Astrid countered.

Erick stared morosely down at his arms. "I just can't."

"No, I'm not... hey, I'm not saying this is something that has to happen now." Astrid placed her fingers on his chin and turned his face up so he could look at her. "But when you're ready, she'll still be there. And so will I. And so will Hiccup."

Erick shook his head. "I don't think I'm ever going to be ready. I feel worse every time I go home."

Astrid leaned forward slightly. "Why is that?" she asked. "What are they doing and saying, Erick?"

"Doesn't matter." the boy mumbled.

"It does if they're hurting you." Astrid said, reaching forward and gripping his hand. "Tell me, sweetie. Whatever it is, I'm not going to get angry with you. I promise."

It was several seconds before Erick was ready to speak but the moment he opened his mouth, it was like a dam within him had burst open. He told Astrid everything, about how his mother hadn't wanted another baby after Aud and had always treated him like a mistake and how his father had stepped in on his behalf until he died. He told her about Nikolas and how he had always been Lara's favorite and how, in her eyes, he could do no wrong. Through a fresh wave of tears, he shakily told her about his mother's behavior toward him since Aud had died, how she had blamed him and bullied him into believing that he was nothing but a burden to her. Astrid listened without interrupting him, all the while squeezing his hand reassuringly. When the youngest Larson was finished, she was silent for a moment, her mind processing everything she had heard. Finally, she spoke.

"I don't think you should be in that house anymore." she said slowly, as if she was coming to this conclusion while she spoke. "What Lara is doing to you is damaging. She's _abusing_ you, Erick."

"No... no she's not, I _deserve_ this."

"No one deserves this." Astrid said firmly. "And no one should ever be made to feel like they are a burden to their own parent. You and Lara are very different people and conflicts are bound to happen but these go beyond simple conflicts. She's making you feel unloved and unwanted when that's simply not true."

"It _is_ true."

"No, it's not." Astrid gently brushed his tears away with her thumbs. "Because I love you, Erick. And I know Hiccup does too, and Adri."

"You're just trying to make me feel better." Erick mumbled, through he met her gaze.

"I wouldn't say something like that to comfort someone." Astrid calmly insisted. "When you were five years old, you became the greatest blessing that came out of my little girl's horrible experience. You gave her exactly what she needed and she did the same for you. How could I not love the child I watched grow up and whose very presence made my daughter's life so much brighter? It's more than just playing with Adri, Erick. You showed even from such an early age that you had a great deal of compassion. And I have always admired that about you and loved you for it."

"That's what he said." Erick sniffled and wiped his face. "My dad. He said that's what made me special. Compassion." he shook his head. "He was wrong though. I'm not compassionate. I've done so many awful things."

"Even if that's true," Astrid said in a maternal time, "I told you just after your dad died that you were loved. Whatever you've done, I'm sure you can be forgiven." she leaned forward and tenderly kissed his forehead. "But I want you to come home with us. In fact, are you busy? Maybe you should come now. I think you need some time away from everything in a different location. You can read a book, Adri's got dozens."

"We don't have many orders." Erick admitted. "I just don't want to leave Horst in the lurch."

"It's okay. I'll explain the situation." Erick shook his head and Astrid smiled kindly. "No, no, not that. Just that you need a bit of time away. He'll understand."

Erick sighed but finally nodded. He allowed himself to be steered out of the shop, feeling comfort in Astrid's gentle arm around his shoulders. After a few words with Horst, they made their way to the Haddock house in silence.

"Shouldn't you talk to Hiccup about this?" Erick asked as the cozy Haddock home entered his line of vision.

"I think, under the circumstances, Hiccup will be fine with it." Astrid explained. "You can sleep in the loft over the old dragon pen. It's nice and warm, sort of like an attic. We keep things there for storage mostly. The dragons prefer to sleep in the newer pen or in our rooms so it's perfect."

Erick smirked. "Leave it to you guys to have a dozen dragon pens."

"Only three." Astrid patted his upper back as she ushered him into the main room of the house. "I'm going to go wake up Hiccup and tell him what's going on. Then we'll go get Charger and your stuff. I think it's best for you to stay away from the house for a bit."

"You don't have to go through so much trouble for me." Erick mumbled.

"Yes we do." Astrid said reassuringly. "Really, make yourself at home."

She ascended the staircase, leaving Erick standing in the main room alone. He looked around, taking in all the sights that met his eyes. There were awkward clay cups and vases on display on shelves, projects that clearly were made by the Haddock children years ago. Erick sauntered forward to look at them. A small, painted bowl caught his interest. He remembered this bowl. He had helped Adrianna paint it as a anniversary gift to her parents. They had only known each other around two years at the time and they had had a grand time painting their project and each other. Hiccup and Astrid had been delighted with it and had thanked them both. Erick smiled at the memory as he inspected the awkwardly shaped object.

"Uhh... hi."

Erick jumped and dropped the bowl back on the shelf. Adrianna stood awkwardly in the doorway to the kitchen, a book in her hands. The Larson boy's face reddened slightly.

"Hey." he said breathlessly.

"Did you need something?" Adrianna asked, glancing between Erick and the front door.

"No."

The girl blinked, almost like she didn't trust her own vision. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Erick replied lamely.

There was an incredibly awkward silence as the former friends stared at each other. Finally, Adrianna could stand it no more.

"I'm sorry, what are you doing here? Not like I want you to leave because I don't care, not that I _don't_ care, I'm just really really confused because this is just super weird... and yeah." Adrianna rambled in one breath, gasping when she was done.

Erick raised an eyebrow. "You've been talking to Cliff."

"Ah... yes." Adrianna admitted with a shy smile. "He's an interesting character."

"Yeah, he is." Erick agreed.

The room went silent again. Adrianna fiddled with the book in her hands.

"So..."

Erick's blush worsened. "I'm... uhh..." he mumbled incoherently.

"Hm?"

The youngest Larson swallowed thickly. "I-I"m mvingin..."

"Sorry?"

"I'M MOVING IN!" Erick suddenly bellowed, making the girl jump in alarm. His face felt even hotter. "S-sorry... that was... ah sorry."

Adrianna stepped back, staring at him with her mouth slightly agape. "Whoa, wait.. .you're... what?"

The sounds of noisy footsteps on the stairs made both teenagers look up. Hiccup and Astrid descended the staircase, looking between the two of them with raised eyebrows.

"You didn't tell her yet?" Hiccup asked Astrid.

"No." Astrid replied. "You're the only person I've talked to about it other than Erick."

"Right." Hiccup said somewhat nervously. "Um... Adrianna, until further notice, Erick's going to beeeee moving in! Yeah-" he gestured awkwardly to Erick as he spoke.

"What? I-I mean, why?" Adrianna glanced at Erick, who shrugged.

"Oh, details we'd rather not divulge at this time." Hiccup told her, continuing to awkwardly gesture to the Larson boy. "He'll be in the loft in the barn, so bedtimes for kiddies won't be super awkward. Heh heh..."

Erick rubbed his face with one hand. "Well _now_ it's awkward."

"Spoken like a true Larson." Hiccup smiled warmly at Erick, strolling over and putting a hand on his shoulder. "Come along then, I'll show you the loft."

"Okay." Erick said, allowing Hiccup to steer him outside.

Adrianna immediately whirled on Astrid as soon as the door closed behind them. " _What_?"

"Adri..."

"No... what? How- why?" Adrianna continued as if her mother hadn't spoken.

"Adrianna!" Astrid finally raised her voice over her daughter's objections, swiftly silencing her. "I know it's uncomfortable, but this wouldn't be happening if it wasn't ABSOLUTELY necessary. Okay?"

Adrianna blinked in surprise. Finally, her features softened. "What happened?"

Astrid sighed deeply. "He's just... going through a very hard time right now, and he needs to be surrounded by people who care about him. Not that I'm strictly referring to you, I mean anyone. He needs love and he needs to know.. he's important. I don't know how long he'll be here but until we know for sure... at least try to befriend him again. Okay?"

"Erm... Okay?" Adrianna bit her lip. "I-I mean... this... it's been hard, mom-"

"I know. But believe me when I say that he _needs_ you to show that you at least care for him _somewhat_. Please?"

"Why do you say that like I don't care?" Adrianna asked calmly. "I do. I never stopped."

"I know you do." Astrid looked over at the door Hiccup and Erick had just walked through. "But... right now, no one is showing him kindness. And your father and I care about him and want to be his emotional support right now."

"Okay." Adrianna said softly. "I can try to be a friend to him. If he lets me."

"I think he will." Astrid brushed her daughter's bangs from her eyes and kissed her forehead. "Now, why don't you go join your boys?"

Adrianna smiled bashfully. "They're not _my_ boys."

"Ohhh I think they are." Astrid gestured to the door. "You'll see it in retrospect if you don't see it now."

Adrianna rolled her eyes at her mother's knowing smile before going out to join her father and friend. As Astrid glanced out the window to see her daughter walking across the grass to the pen, she sighed. She and Hiccup had agreed not to talk to Erick about the gang quite yet. If the note was any indication, there wouldn't be any more hits for a while, giving them plenty of time to coax the answer out of the Larson boy. But something seemed distinctly _off_ about the whole thing. Why did Erick feel the need to join a gang in the first place?

The only thing she knew for sure was that she didn't know the whole story. She only hoped that time would eventually yield the answers to her questions.

* * *

A few hours later, Hiccup, Astrid, and Erick walked to the Larson house in silence. None of them quite knew what to expect but they dreaded the confrontation. It definitely wasn't going to be pretty.

Lara answered the door directly after they knocked. She was drying her hands with a dish towel and looked distinctly annoyed at the interruption.

"Is something wrong?" she asked in a businesslike tone. "I don't want to be rude but I have a lot to do right now."

Hiccup felt a surge of annoyance that he pushed down. "Actually, we came to talk to you about your son."

"Whatever Gustav did this time, he's an adult and can handle the consequences on his own." Lara said almost automatically.

"Not that one." Hiccup told her.

"My Nikolas is-"

"Erick. We're talking about Erick!" Astrid exclaimed, gently pushing Erick into view.

Lara tensed. "Oh. That one."

Hiccup rested a hand on Erick's shoulders. "We'd like to discuss some things with you."

"Well it's going to have to wait. It's Mel's birthday tomorrow and I-"

"We weren't asking." Hiccup interrupted.

He, Erick, and Astrid immediately stepped into the house, ignoring Lara's furious growl. The Larson matriarch put her hands on her hips.

"Well? This isn't an investigation. State your business quickly and go." she snapped.

"Erick, honey, go on up to your room and get your things." Astrid said soothingly to the teenager.

Erick didn't need to be told twice. He immediately ran forward and pounded up the stairs.

The moment he was out of sight, Hiccup crossed his arms and stared directly at Lara. "It's come to my attention that there are some... issues."

"With Erick?" Lara sighed deeply. "All mothers and sons argue once in a while. You know that as well as I do."

"Don't play that game with us, Lara." Astrid hissed. "Don't act like what we're about to tell you is a simple, petty argument."

"I don't know what he's told you but I assure you, nothing is going on." Lara said in a softer voice. "I try to get through to him and he refuses to listen. I know he thinks I'm being too hard on him but I have his best interests at heart. I've done the best I can to help my family move forward and it's not my fault some decide to dwell on the past."

Hiccup shook his head and gestured to the staircase. "Lara, have you even _looked_ at him? _Really_ looked?"

"Am I supposed to be seeing something?" Lara asked, her voice barely concealing impatience.

"Are you seriously telling me you haven't noticed that he's lost weight, barely slept, and had his arms bandaged for the last several months?" Astrid prompted. "Are you really that blind?"

"Erick hasn't been taking proper care of himself." Lara insisted. "He's 16 years old. I can't _make_ him eat."

"He's a minor." Hiccup countered. "Until he's 17, it's your responsibility by law to care for him. If he refused when you tried to make him eat or whatever, fine, but you're clearly not making an effort."

The calm pretense dissolved as Lara swelled angrily. "How dare you?" she said through gritted teeth. "I have given him food and shelter and clothes. What he does with them isn't my problem anymore."

"When's the last time you gave him a hug?" Astrid asked, her eyes narrowed. "Or told him you loved him?"

Hiccup waved a hand at Astrid. "No no, wait. Love isn't a necessity. How silly, who would need that?"

"Your sarcasm isn't as charming as you think it is, _chief_." Lara said the last word with disgust.

"Then let me make myself _painfully_ clear." Hiccup replied with an icy tone. "You are not fit to be a parent. You're abusing your son and allowing him to abuse himself in multiple ways, and we will not stand for a second longer." Lara opened her mouth but he cut her off. "That you would _dare_ mistreat your youngest son, the little boy that Olaf cherished with every ounce of his being, _disgusts_ me. I may not be the greatest parent in the world. But I would _never_..." Hiccup swallowed hard. "I would _never_ push my children away. Never like this."

"And by all rights, he's practically a son to us. If you won't raise and take care of him, we will. And not out of duty, but because we truly care about him. If you won't show him love, we _will_." Astrid added forcefully.

"So that's it then? You're taking my son from me just because he came to you with a silly sob story?" Lara shook her head and smirked. "You deserve him."

"If you think we're just doing this out of pity, you're sorely mistaken." Astrid's eyes flitted to the staircase. "You were blessed with a wonderful child who was more compassionate at age five than you've ever been. Whether or not we deserve him doesn't matter. But you _definitely_ don't."

"That's why Erick is gathering his things right now." Hiccup said calmly, ignoring Lara's furious gaze. "We're taking him home with us."

"Erick!" Lara called up the stairs. "Get down here now!"

Erick came into view a second later, a bag slung on his shoulder and his feet shuffling. He avoided their gaze as he slowly descended the staircase.

"Unpack your things." Lara snapped, making him flinch. "You've deceived our chief long enough and you are not leaving with him." she turned to Hiccup with an icy stare. "I won't inconvenience him like that."

Astrid sauntered forward and put an arm around Erick's shoulder. "Don't talk to him that way."

"Do as I say!" Lara suddenly bellowed at her son.

Erick avoided her gaze and shook his head. "I want to go with them."

Lara stared angrily between the two Haddocks before throwing her arms up in disgust. "Fine. Take him. That'll be one less problem for me to deal with."

"He's not a problem!" Hiccup shouted. "He's your child!"

"Hiccup," Astrid met his gaze and shook her head, "let's just go. We can't convince her to act like a decent person." she squeezed Erick's shoulder. "Have you got your things?"

"Yeah." Erick mumbled in a trembling voice.

"Okay. Let's go." Astrid guided him out of the house.

Hiccup stayed a moment longer, his bright green eyes flashing. "You know, I think about Olaf all the time. How kind and wise and wonderful he was and how much he loved his children. I trust that he saw something in you that no one else did or he wouldn't have loved you so much. For his sake, I hope you find it in your heart to love Erick as much as Olaf did."

"Get. Out." Lara hissed through her teeth.

Without a response, Hiccup walked out of the house and jumped when the door slammed behind him.

Hiccup, Astrid, and Erick walked back from the Larson house in silence. Charger caught up with them a few seconds later, bounding next to Erick and making excited cooing noises. Hiccup walked with his head held high. He wasn't going to let any of Lara's words get under his skin. But something had struck a chord with his Erick and it wasn't long until he spoke up.

"Why do people say that there's nothing more important than family?" he asked slowly, not meeting anyone's eye. "Family is just... something you're born into. It's so arbitrary. Why should I prioritize it if my mother has been so cruel?"

"I guess because family is more than that." Hiccup replied thoughtfully, thinking his words through carefully. "To tell someone who has been abused that they have to lie down and take it just because they happened to be born to those people is damaging. More than damaging, it's enough to make them feel like they can't have something everyone else around them has." he sighed deeply. "I wish we, as a whole, would stop putting people in those boxes. Family is wonderful if you're lucky enough to be in a good one. But it's no more important than the people you come to love along the way." he breathed a laugh after considering his words. "Erick, you have no obligation to Lara at this point. Abuse cancels that out."

"True..." Erick muttered. "But what about yours?" he stopped walking for a moment and both Hiccup and Astrid turned to face him. "What if... what if, say, Finn was up to something bad? Family ties _cannot_ come before the good of the village. Would he still become chief?"

Hiccup paused for a moment, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. "I've been thinking about it too. And you're right. It would be wrong to put him in charge if he continues down this road." he leaned forward slightly. "Do you know something I don't?"

"No!" Erick exclaimed hastily. "I just... he's not very nice is all. Sorry, I don't want to pry..."

"It's okay." Hiccup assured him. "Listen, I don't love Finn _only_ because he's my son. Well, that's how it started. But that's not why anymore. I've gotten to know him and I _know_ there's good in him. I admire so many of his qualities I would hate to see his potential wasted. Addie's too." he sighed deeply. "But if something _were_ going on, I'd want to know about it, Erick."

"There's nothing." Erick mumbled. "Forget I mentioned it."

Hiccup glanced at Astrid once Erick and Charger had continued walking again. The moment their eyes met, they silently agreed: there was definitely more to the story.


	15. Tough Love

There was nothing like living like a criminal under the chief's nose.

Of course, Finn didn't really live _like_ a criminal at home. He just found it extremely ironic how difficult it was for his dad to catch the gang, or even acquire any information, when he had not one, but _two_ of the little scoundrels living right under his very nose.

It was four days after his father's frightening speech of impending doom when Finn tromped down the stairs, a smirk playing at the edge of his lips at his good fortune. He didn't honestly expect it to last this long. Though he'd never expected to get caught or hadn't pegged an allotted time frame for the gang to exist, it was five months to the day since the first hit! He was on Cloud 9. He probably shouldn't be enjoying this so much.

But when you're fifteen and successfully rebellious, what the heck?

Finn made it to the bottom of the stairs just as Erick emerged from the washroom, the ends of his blonde hair damp from a wash. The older teen stiffened as Finn brushed past, holding the red-head's mocking smirk with an icy stare. Finn marched into the kitchen area and the moment passed.

The future heir scooped a massive ladle of oatmeal with gusto, piling it high with berries and nuts. Finn couldn't help but feel a little exhilarated by this glorious bowl of goodness he'd created. He nearly felt like advertising it to the world. Fearless Finn Haddock: future chief of Berk, unstoppable gang leader, and devourer of oatmeal.

"Need a bigger bowl?" His father's amused voice interrupted his musings of trampling his enemies with the strength that only a healthy breakfast could give.

Finn frowned and twisted sideways, surprised he hadn't noticed his father standing two feet away. Swallowing, he watched as Erick took a seat at the table across from his sister and rubbed his forehead. Finn cleared his spoon with his lips before poking it at his father. "Don't judge me."

Hiccup snorted, sipping his coffee as he leaned against the counter. "Wouldn't dream of it."

The teenager scowled at the dark brew. "How can you drink that?"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "Gotta be wide awake to get my job done. And catch the gang."

Finn shrugged indifferently, dodging the baited phrase. He wondered if his dad chose those words on purpose. Probably. He dug into his oatmeal fervently. "Whatever floats your boat."

"Or sinks it." Adrianna piped from her seat, peering at them through her bangs as she took a bite of eggs. Finn stuck a tongue out at her.

Erick closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the table. Hiccup instantly straightened. "You okay over there?"

"Mhm."

"You look tired," Adrianna prompted. "Did you sleep enough?"

"Yeah," Erick sighed as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. "I'm just… still catching up."

"Gotcha." Adrianna nodded once resolutely before returning to her plate.

Finn rolled his eyes. So stiff and boring and blah, those two. So much needless tension and drama. Maybe it was a blonde thing? Scraping his last scoop of oatmeal into his mouth and dumping the dishes into the wash basin, he walked up and squeezed Erick's shoulders. "Oh he's fine, nothing like the Haddock family to rest you up, both in body and soul in preparation for the rest of life's hardships."

Erick's body gradually went rigid until he flicked Finn's right hand. Finn smirked and threw up his hands in mock hurt. "I try to be nice. People would kill for a massage from me, you know that?"

"Don't touch me." Erick murmured. The hardness in his voice was calm and quiet, yet unmistakable.

Adrianna watched the exchange with wide eyes, glancing between the boys. The tension in the room mounted like two opposing magnets fighting for strength. She looked to her father, who remained still as he held his cup of coffee, watching the interaction. Hiccup's green eyes were narrowed ever so slightly, which only confirmed his piqued interest.

"Relax, Larson," Finn snickered as he turned toward the door. "Maybe you should get some more sleep. You're a touch grouchy. Anywho, I'm off to the forge. Later taters."

The house went silent after his exit, leaving the others sitting or standing in bewildered confusion. Adrianna watched Erick trace lines in the wood grain table with his fingertip. Either he was oblivious to the two Haddock stares he was receiving, or he didn't care. Adrianna wasn't sure which was worse.

The last four days had been interesting to say the least. Her parents were going out of their way to make Erick feel welcome, which didn't bother her much once the initial shock waned. They were making a huge effort, which both piqued her curiosity and slightly stirred a few hints of jealousy. But the latter she shoved down with all her might, unwilling to be caught up in that sort of thinking. Anyone could take one look at Erick and see that he needed help.

Dark circles swept under his eyes, his already lean frame a bit thinner than she remembered a few months ago, and the mysterious wraps surrounding his forearms, as always. She wanted to ask what had happened. Some sort of injury, she wagered. But she didn't dare ask. If she was sure of anything, she knew a weary, despondent soul when she saw one. She didn't want to scare him away when her parents were so clearly trying to reel him in. She didn't know what was going on in his life, but it must be serious enough for her parents to take him in.

All this Adrianna thought in the few quiet moments after her brother left the house. She told her mom she'd try to befriend Erick, and she'd been thinking the last few days on how she'd go about doing that. She needed more time, and she wanted to discuss it with Brandyn to see if he had any advice.

Hiccup finally stirred, setting his empty cup down inside the basin. "He's in a mysteriously good mood."

Adrianna hummed in agreement. Her brother was weird and crazy on a number of levels, more often grouchy than anyone in the near vicinity. To see him in a good mood was a rare occurrence for sure. She vaguely wondered what his deal was and what was going on between him and Erick. She'd never seen them so tense around each other. It almost felt like a stalemate between two opposing sides in a war. One waiting for the other to give just a little so victory could be achieved.

Erick swallowed, his eyes flickering to her for a moment before he rubbed his neck and looked away. Adrianna shook her head slightly. She was reading too many books.

Muffled footsteps were the only warning they got before the door flew open and Brandyn stepped inside. "Whew!" Erick jumped at the sudden noise. Adrianna smiled at him gently when he sighed in shock. "Hot outside and it's not even ten yet!"

"Hey Brandyn." Adrianna greeted him.

"Meh." Hiccup whined, palm in his cheek. "To leather or not to leather?"

"If I was you, which I'm certainly not," Brandyn brandished a finger at the chief as he sat beside his girlfriend. "I would most certainly _not_ leather."

"Urgh… fine."

"Does this mean I don't have to work today?" Erick silently quipped.

A beat passed before Brandyn snorted. "Nice. 'Fraid you'll have to ask your big boss about that one."

"Yep." Erick drew out the "p" sound with a pop of his lips.

"So kids, what's the plan today?" Hiccup asked, hopping onto the counter to inspect his prosthetic.

"Work." Erick mused.

"Work?" Brandyn asked. "Pft. You're always working. You should come work _out_."

Erick's brow furrowed. "Me, work out? Have you seen these noodly arms?" He raised his limbs and wiggled his slender fingers for emphasis.

"Hey now," Hiccup interrupted. "Wiry boys can become strong men just as easily with a little effort."

Adrianna nodded. "Dragon riding would do the trick."

Brandyn frowned. "Shouldn't you be helping me get more ripped than him?"

"Nah," The blonde girl shook her head. "You're already good."

Erick's head hit the back of his chair. "Ugh."

"Ugh is right." Hiccup murmured.

Brandyn snickered. "You guys are just jealous."

"Eh?" Hiccup raised his head.

"Ehh no." Erick shook his head.

Adrianna frowned. "What's that supposed to mean? That was for Erick by the way."

Erick felt a blush rise to his cheeks. "Um… n-nothing." He stammered, shaking his head. "I… well what do you want me to say? We've already established your boyfriend is stronger than me. He'd pummel me for saying otherwise."

"Assuming what you're saying is the truth then." Brandyn asked in a clipped tone.

Erick swallowed, scratched his neck and fought for a response.

"Well," Hiccup mused, still working on his prosthetic. "This just got awkward."

Erick threw an unamused scowl over his shoulder at the chief and stood, snatching his satchel off a nearby hook. "I meant nothing by it."

"Nothing at all?" Adrianna inquired.

Erick paused with his hand on the doorknob, ignoring the other two men and staring directly at her. "I don't know, Adrianna. You tell me. You're the one that's so curious to know." The Larson boy waited in the silence for a beat before opening the door and stepping outside.

Adrianna's heart shrank when the door closed, leaving her alone with her boyfriend and father. She noticed Brandyn look at her from her peripheral vision, and gulped. She thought it had been a legitimate question at first, considering their past history. But she hadn't considered who was sitting directly to her left either.

"Sooooo…" Hiccup drawled, finishing with his leg. "The plan?"

Brandyn watched her for another moment before brightening considerably. "I have an idea. You should come work out with me."

"Afraid I've got a gang to catch and harvest meetings all day. Sorry."

"Not you." Brandyn deadpanned. "Not that that wouldn't be jolly good fun, but no. I meant Anna-banana!"

Both Haddocks frowned in confusion. "Erm… me?" Adrianna asked. "I-I don't know about that-"

"Oh come ooooooon," Brandyn pleaded. "The most you ever do outside is fly with Lily, which is a great thing mind you, but it's not pure exercise! It's not sweat pouring down your back or rippling muscles from a hard workout!"

"Yeah, one problem with that, Bran," Adrianna chuckled. "I'm not exactly a man. Rippling muscles and dripping sweat sound repulsive."

Brandyn's jaw dropped in hurt. "Even these bad boys?" He flexed an arm for effect.

Adrianna blushed, glancing at her father. "Put that thing away."

"Oh man," Hiccup sighed. "Not the biceps, please don't let me see that. She might die a horrible death of embarrassment!"

"Horrible." Brandyn chimed.

"Crushing."

"Hey-"

"Devastatingly crushing!"

"Would you two shut up!" Adrianna shouted over her laughs. "Seriously. Why would you want to drag me out into the woods to work out?"

"Because you're a lazy bag of bones and you need to learn to hold your own in a fight!" Brandyn remarked flatly. Hiccup chortled in the background. "Seriously, you're the freaking princess of Berk, HIS daughter! Finn's got it down, you need to have some skills other than reading, which is a good skill, but you- oh just come on!"

"Wait," Adrianna pulled her arm back. "Is this for fun or because you think I need to change who I am to fit your standards?"

Brandyn looked taken aback. He looked at Hiccup, who merely sat there with an amused expression, waiting for him to respond. "I want to change you for you in a good way but not because of my own selfish desires or bad tropes of what women should or shouldn't be."

Adrianna blinked, waiting.

"No I mean this honestly, you don't get any exercise outside of flying and I… think you should be more active! That's all!" Brandyn smiled warily, hoping he hadn't made a serious oops.

Adrianna raised an eyebrow. "Lazy bag of bones?"

"Laziest bag of bones I've seen to date. But," Brandyn smirked, tapping her nose. "Still pretty."

"All right love birds, get out of here." Hiccup hopped off the counter with a smile. "As much as I'd love to listen to your totes adorbs banter all day, I'm afraid I've got things to do."

"Great! Have fun with that! I'll go grab some stuff from the barn!" Brandyn hightailed it out of the house and ran for the barn before she could blink.

"Wait dad," Adrianna stood and dumped her leftovers in the trash. "You're… okay with this?"

Hiccup shrugged. "What's a little exercise? Just know if that boy hurts you being careless, he'll meet his end."

"Ha ha."

"No really," Hiccup raised his eyebrows. "Don't get hurt."

Adrianna smiled bashfully, avoiding his eyes. "Part of being a Viking, right?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes and waved his hands around. "Not lethally!"

"No lethal death. Got it."

"Oh get outta here."

"Fine, fine." Adrianna hopped out the front door to meet Brandyn, then paused a few steps outside. She felt light and strangely warm inside, despite the earlier awkward situation with Erick. She wondered what was making her feel like this, and then she realized it was the playful banter with her dad. They hadn't bantered like that in… she didn't want to think about how long. It was inviting and comforting. It was fun.

On a whim, she twisted on her heel and met her father as he was closing the front door. He looked at her in surprise and stilled when she wrapped her arms around his chest for a hug. A beat later and Hiccup had her wrapped in his arms, so strong and warm and comforting. She found that she suddenly didn't want to pull away.

"You okay?" He murmured in her ear.

Adrianna finally straightened out of his hold and nodded with a warm smile. "Have a good day, daddy."

The words clearly impacted him deeper than she expected. His eyebrows pinched together and he gave her a wistful smile, reaching up to brush her cheek with his thumb. "You too, sweetheart." Hiccup bent down to kiss her forehead chastely before nodding toward the barn. "Now go on, your boy's waiting for you."

Sure enough, Brandyn stood by the barn doors with their two dragons and a handful of weapons. He watched on with an amused expression. Adrianna blushed and nodded. "See you tonight."

"Bye Addie."

Brandyn regaled her with awesome fighting stances and other sorts of strange battle strategies as they walked toward the woods behind the house. Adrianna threw a last look over her shoulder as her father and Toothless took to the air and swooped toward the village. She smiled to herself, proud that she'd given him a moment of happiness. She hadn't meant to, but she supposed that was the beauty of it. The point wasn't to _make_ someone feel loved.

It was simply to love.

* * *

"Do you think it'll work?" Hiccup inspected the vial of liquid before his eyes, narrowing his eyes. "It just seems like an odd combination."

"I haven't tested it yet." Mara said, her eyes focused on the same vial. "I really haven't gotten a chance."

"Well I guess testing it would involve someone's heart stopping." Hiccup handed her the vial back to her. "But it's an interesting theory."

"I've made plenty." Mara tucked the small vial into his hand. "You're the chief. You should be carrying this with you."

"Experimental medicine that may or may not work. Can't see how that would go wrong."

Mara smacked him lightly on the stomach, making him laugh. "Well any test subject you find would be out of options at that point so it can't hurt."

"So go over it with me again." Hiccup said, holding the vial up to inspect it again. "What am I supposed to do with it?"

"If you come across a human or dragon whose heart has stopped, inject them directly in the heart with this." Mara handed him a syringe. "If I'm right, this'll get it going again."

"What brought this on all of a sudden?" Hiccup asked her as he tucked the vial and syringe in a hidden compartment in his prosthetic.

"I've been doing some thinking about emergency care." Mara told him. "This idea came to me a couple of days ago and I think the formula is pretty good. Figured I'd share. I hope I didn't interrupt you too much."

"Not at all. I've always got time for you, Mara." Hiccup waved his hand. "I should go though. Important breakfast meeting."

"Okay. Well let me know if you need anything else." Mara told him as he headed toward the door.

"Checkup was everything I needed. Glad to know I'm not dying." Hiccup said cheerfully. "See you later, Mara. No offense but I hope not to visit you at work until my next checkup!"

"No offense taken!" Mara called after him.

Hiccup was in an extremely good mood early that afternoon. Perhaps it was the hug he'd gotten from his daughter that morning but he felt ready to take on the world. Or maybe it was all the coffee he'd been drinking since waking up. Either way, he had certainly gotten out of the right side of bed that morning and was looking forward to his lunch meeting.

As soon as he got to the Great Hall, he spotted Erick standing awkwardly against the wall near the door. The youngest Larson smiled when he saw the chief.

"I was starting to think you wouldn't show up." he said, sounding very relieved. "Then I'd probably have had to eat with Cliff."

"I wouldn't miss this for anything." Hiccup told him, affectionately patting his shoulder. "Let's not waste any more time."

As soon as they had gotten food, they sat down at a table toward the middle of the Hall so that Hiccup was still visible to those who needed him. Few people had come by since Hiccup and Erick had started meeting up for lunch every day for the last few days but they preferred to avoid interruptions.

"So how are you doing?" Hiccup asked him once they had sat down.

"You ask me that every day." Erick replied, picking at his food rather than eating it. "I'm not really sure how to answer it though."

"Well it's been a big adjustment." Hiccup said calmly. "Astrid and I like having you around but we want you to feel comfortable."

"I have been." Erick smiled. "The loft is pretty cozy."

"I know. I've slept in there a couple of times. Usually when I'm sick and I don't want Astrid to catch whatever I have."

"Oh, so it's germ infested?" Erick made a face. "No wonder my throat's been so scratchy." he smirked and rubbed his throat with his fingers. "If I die of a horrible disease, it's your fault."

Hiccup let out a sarcastic chortle. "If you die of a horrible disease can I have your dragon? I've always wanted a Nadder of my own."

Toothless made an indignant noise and smacked him with his tail. Hiccup laughed and was pleased to see Erick smile. However, the amusing moment was short lived.

"You're dying?" someone cried from behind Erick's head. "Oh, say it isn't so! You wouldn't leave your ol' pal to do all your work by himself!"

Erick turned to see Cliff standing over the table, looking extremely emotional. Hiccup raised an eyebrow at the unexpected guest as Erick buried his face in his hands.

"You okay?" Hiccup asked Erick, staring between him and Cliff.

"He's just weeping for joy at the sight of me." Cliff thumped Erick on the back and sat down next to him. "But it's not him I wanted to talk to. Chief, I've been mentally, emotionally, and physically preparing myself for this inevitable talk and I feel..." Cliff placed his hand on his heart. "I feel now is the time to have this conversation."

"Ohhh gods." Erick said through his fingers.

"Okay, what did you want to say?" Hiccup asked, feeling slightly apprehensive.

"Chief, I promise you, no, I _swear_ to you that I did _not_ have anything to do with that gang!" Cliff folded his hands in front of his face, his voice wrought with emotion. "Please don't lock me up, chief! I'll swear it before the whole council! I'll testify it under threat of dismemberment that I don't even know who's in the gang!"

"Cliff-"

"I don't even know who _knows_ who's in the gang! I don't know anything! I know I fall in the right age range but I'm innocent, I tell you, I'm innocent!" Cliff wailed, dropping to his knees. Several people looked in their direction with amused smiles.

"Cliff, I don't-"

"Please don't lock me up! I can't sleep at night without my door open! I can't even fall asleep without my teddy bear! I wouldn't last five minutes!"

"CLIFF!" Hiccup bellowed, silencing the pleading teen. Cliff whimpered in terror. "It's okay. I never thought you had anything to do with it."

Cliff's eyes widened with renewed hope. "You didn't?"

"No." Hiccup assured him. "You've given me no reason to suspect you."

"Oh, okay!" Cliff bounded to his feet and enthusiastically shook the chief's whole arm. "You are a wise and wonderful chief and all of the archipelago is lucky that you exist. My best friend in the whole universe here is truly blessed to have found your favor and it is my greatest dream that I may be deemed worthy enough to be considered one of your most loyal subjects."

"Umm thanks... I think."

"You have done so much good for this village ever since you took over for your noble and well respected father and I would be surprised if you didn't go down in history as one of the greatest chiefs the world has ever seen!" Cliff finally let go of Hiccup's arm, much to the chief's relief. "You are my hero, Chief Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third!"

"Thank you, Cliff!" Hiccup spoke quickly before the boy could continue. "I would be honored to deem you worthy of being one of my most loyal subjects. The village needs more teens like you."

Cliff suddenly hugged the man tightly. "You are truly the greatest man who ever lived!"

"I'm not so sure about that." Hiccup said, laughing as he hugged the boy back. "But I do my best."

"I have but one request for you." Cliff told him once he had let the chief go (Hiccup gasped and massaged his ribs). "Please give Erick your blessing to wed your lovely and beautiful daughter Adrianna." Erick choked on a bite of mutton but if Cliff noticed, he didn't let on. "They are my one true pairing, the light of my life! Their love story shall be legendary and I know my bruh here will provide you with the greatest grandchildren a man of your stature could ask for!"

"If the opportunity arises, I'm sure Erick would be a fine husband." Hiccup assured him. "But Addie is dating someone else now."

Cliff waved a hand. "Details, chief! Let that sham relationship run its course so that you can bless this gentleman with the love of his life." he thumped Erick on the back. "And with that, I really must be going. Horst has a lot of orders and I wanted to get started early to make sure he's not in over his head."

"Ah... okay." Hiccup nodded once. "Go in peace, my loyal friend."

Cliff beamed at him before scampering off, leaving Hiccup laughing and Erick blushing deeply.

"I'm sorry about him." Erick said after he was certain Cliff was gone. "He's... he's..."

"He's a character." Hiccup finished, still laughing. "Good kid though, I like him. I think he's good for you to be around, to be honest."

Erick raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because he's cheerful and he looks up to you." Hiccup said with a small shrug. "He doesn't have any siblings and I think he sees you as a big brother. Congratulations."

"Great." Erick grumbled. "Four brothers. Five if Cliff's dream comes true and I somehow manage to marry Adrianna."

"You can never have too much family." Hiccup assured him. "Haven't you always wanted a younger sibling?"

"No." Erick rested his cheek on his hand. "There were already too many kids at home."

"I did." Hiccup sighed. "Mom died before I got the chance to have any. I always wanted a little sister." he suddenly looked up at the sight of a blue Terrible Terror. "Although now I'm not so sure about that..."

The Terror flapped around Hiccup's head, refusing to land and looking very pleased that she had delivered her message. Finally, Hiccup managed to take the note from her leg and give her a little treat for her efforts. He then glanced down at the message.

_HICCUP!_

_I've been thinking really really really really super duper crazily and ridiculously hard about your gang problem ever since I got home and I think I have an idea! You should pretend you have issues with your guards one night and let the teens hear you talk about it so they'll try to mess with that place while it's not guarded. Better than THAT, you should have some of your GUARDS talk about it so it doesn't look like you set it up. It would be easy peasy to get them to do that and you'd have that whole gang cornered before you can say "Camicazi is a genius!"  
_

_Hope you think about my idea because I think it's the best idea in the world!_

_Camicazi the Crazy_

Hiccup sighed. He'd already come up with this idea weeks ago but the gang hadn't taken the bait. However, he was pleased that Camicazi was so willing to help and it _was_ a decent plan in and of itself.

"Good news?"

"Uhh yeah." Hiccup tucked the note away in his coat. "Camicazi's fine. Sends her love. Just as nuts as ever. But maybe a little smarter than I thought."

Erick's eyebrows shot up. "Smart? Okay then."

"She is." Hiccup told him. "But that's not important at the moment. What _is_ important is spending some of my day checking in with you."

"You don't have to do this." Erick said, lowering his head and staring at his plate.

"I tell you this every day." Hiccup said patiently. "I _want_ to do this. I like spending time with you, Erick. If I didn't, I wouldn't be here."

"You spend plenty of time with people you don't like."

"Because I have to." Hiccup shrugged. "That's life sometimes. But that's not the case here. You're a great kid, Erick. And I am _so_ proud of how far you've come already."

Erick honestly didn't know how Hiccup did it but the Haddock patriarch always managed to make him feel good about himself. Maybe that was where Adrianna had gotten the warmly encouraging nature that had always attracted him to her. The feelings of self doubt ebbed away despite himself, almost like they had when his father was around. Erick still missed Olaf so much he felt a physical ache in his stomach at the thought and Hiccup certainly wasn't the same person but in just a few days, Erick had come to feel like he had a father again. It was a feeling he didn't know he missed.

And, unfortunately, with that feeling came a tidal wave of guilt. He forced a smile as he and Hiccup ate lunch but he knew that, eventually, he would have to reveal his true colors. He only hoped Hiccup wouldn't hate him _too_ much.

* * *

Inga didn't like walking anywhere by herself. She felt unsafe without her dragon or family or Alton by her side. But all of them were busy (or, in Mystie's case, napping) so she was forced to walk through the village on her own so that she could have her regular check up with Mara. And unfortunately, Mara's house was on the other edge of town, which meant she had to walk directly through her least favorite section.

Most kids avoided the alley near the forge. A variety of teenagers always seemed to congregate there no matter what day of the week it was and this day was no different. Inga had to walk directly past it, keeping her head down and hoping they wouldn't notice her.

"Jorgenson!"

Apparently they _did_ notice her. Inga sighed and tried to pretend she couldn't hear their shrill voices.

"Oh, I get it. Little Jorgenson's too good to talk to us." Dana's voice rang in the girl's ears. "Or maybe she's about to have one of her crazy fits."

Inga went rigid, her stomach clenching. She knew that Dana was trying to get a reaction out of her... but _crazy fits_?

"That's probably a good idea." Morgan spoke up. "Wouldn't want her drooling all over herself."

"Shut up." Inga mumbled, hating herself for speaking up at all.

"You know, talking to yourself just makes you look crazier." Dana sighed dramatically. "It's kind of a shame, really. Jorgensons used to have such a good reputation."

"I said _shut up_!" Inga bellowed, finally turning to face the group of girls standing in the alley.

Dana raised her eyebrows, apparently surprised that Inga had talked back. "Well you'd have to be crazy to go out in public with that haircut."

Inga ran her fingers through her short hair. "It was burned off!" she growled. "Leave me alone."

"Why? Are you needed somewhere important?" asked a girl named Jackie that Inga didn't know very well.

"I bet she's going to Mara's to make sure she's sane enough to go out in public." Dana chortled. "Is it true you have to go every week?"

"Just go away!" Inga turned on her heel and tried to walk away from the girls but Morgan, Dana, and Jackie stepped in front of her.

"You _are_ going to Mara's." Morgan remarked with a smirk. "Look, I'm no healer but if she couldn't stop you from throwing fits by now, she never will."

"Face it. You're going to have to accept that your brain is permanently damaged." Dana poked her in the chest. "At least now you look like it from the outside."

"Oh please, hair grows back. What's your excuse for _your_ haircut?" Inga shot back at Dana, her patience completely gone.

"Uhh I know what looks good on me?" Dana rolled her eyes. "Apparently you've never seen a mirror."

"Don't try to tell her how to live her life. If she wants stupid hair, it's her decision." Jackie told Dana before Inga could respond. "I mean even if it looked nice, she'd still randomly drool all over her shirt because she's _insane_."

"Shut up!" shouted a much lower voice that certainly _didn't_ belong to Inga.

Finn dropped the stack of bent weapons he had been carrying to the forge and bolted over to the girls, looking livid. Inga's mouth dropped open at the enraged expression on his face.

"What is wrong with you?" Finn yelled at the bullies, making Morgan and Jackie take a few steps back. "Just leave her alone!"

"Ooh, I didn't know _you_ liked crazies." Dana said serenely, crossing her arms and not backing down. "Must run in the family."

"Keep gabbing, Dana, I _dare_ you." Finn leaned in close to her, his teeth bared like a wild animal. "Give me a reason and I will make you regret it."

"Please." Dana gave him a wry smile and patted his cheek. "You're _so_ not worth my time. C'mon." she waved to Morgan and Jackie, who followed her as she walked away.

Finn turned back to Inga, fully expecting her to thank him for stepping in. He was surprised to see her face reddening in rage.

"Haddock." she seethed. "What were you _doing_?"

"Stopping those girls from making fun of you." Finn replied, absolutely mystified at her behavior. "What did it look like?"

"Why would you stick up for me?" Inga shouted indignantly. "You're always making fun of other kids my age!"

"Yeah but you don't deserve it." Finn rolled his eyes. "They were making fun of your... you know..."

"My seizures?" Inga hissed. "Oh so that it, is it? You don't care about me, you just feel sorry for me!"

"No!"

"Then you pity me because I have a disability!" Inga balled her fists at her side. "Well guess what, Fearless Finn! I don't need your help and I don't _want_ your help!"

"Why are you turning it away?" Finn threw his arms up in exasperation. "People listen to me! If I hadn't spoken up, they'd still be bugging you!"

"Because I don't want you solving my problems just because I have an issue! I hate it when people treat me differently! It's embarrassing!" Inga shrieked, making several villagers turn to watch the theatrics unfolding. "So next time you feel the need to stand up for me because you think I'm a helpless little girl who can't defend herself, stuff it! I'm just fine!"

"Fine then!" Finn bellowed back, not bothering to lower the volume. "Go ahead and let them walk all over you! Reject any and all help bestowed upon you because Thor forbid anyone do _anything_ nice for you!" he waited until Inga was walking away before adding, "And by the way, your hair _does_ look stupid."

He could have sworn he heard a muffled sob before he turned back to the pile of old weapons. He knew he needed to cool off. If he didn't, he would surely explode and end up destroying something. So, after kicking the weapons out of the middle of the road, he stomped into the woods.

Why had Inga reacted that way? He did once nice thing and she jumped down his throat because she couldn't accept that she needed help now and then. _She_ hadn't seen herself lying on the ground twitching and foaming at the mouth. Maybe if she did, she'd understand why she needed to be protected from people who wanted to make fun of her for that. That was certainly no laughing matter. It gave Finn chills every time he thought about it. Finn _hated_ weakness and to watch someone lose control of her own mind and body... there was _nothing_ more terrifying. And that _anyone_ could trivialize something like that... he was going to have to talk to Dana, Morgan, and Jackie about that later. Regardless of how irritating she was, Inga was off limits.

Finn hadn't realized how far into the woods he had gotten until he tripped on a rock and went sprawling into a much bigger boulder, barely stopping himself before he split his head open on it. Cursing under his breath, he kicked the boulder, instantly regretting it when pain exploded in his foot. Gritting his teeth, he turned to limp away when felt the ground shift slightly beneath him. He looked down and spotted a tiny opening in the dirt.

"What the..." he muttered as he crouched down to inspect it.

It took a while to clear the area so Finn could see what was there. He had to uproot half a shrub that had grown over it but as soon as it was cleared, his eyes widened. He had somehow opened a hidden passageway! He looked at the boulder and noticed that he'd moved it a few inches away, revealing the entrance. So... Berk had secret passages, did it? Finn knew that Hiccup would be completely fascinated were he were. His father loved weird stuff like this.

But Hiccup _wasn't_ here. No one was. This wasn't near any major areas so there weren't even any guards flying overhead. Finn was completely alone.

"All right, let's see what we got." he mumbled as he pulled open the trap door and descended an earthly staircase into the dark depths.

He managed to ignite a nearby torch with a set of stones he carried with him. The tunnel wasn't very big and it didn't look like the work of a Whispering Death. This was different. This was definitely man made. Finn crept forward, staring around at the clever architecture that had kept this tunnel open for however long it had existed. He usually hated tight, dank spaces but the farther he got into the tunnel, the wider it became.

After he had walked for nearly twenty minutes, he came across another staircase, this one leading up too far for him to see with one little torch. He ascended it until he was out of breath and he reached what appeared to be a dead end.

"Come on." he groaned. "There's no way anyone built a tunnel just to lead to a blank wall."

He inspected the wall until he saw a tiny lever so close to the side, it was easy to miss. He pulled it and a small panel opened in the middle of the wall. Inside the panel were a complicated series of mechanisms that Finn would never have been able to figure out if he weren't Hiccup's son. But the Haddock boy had spent plenty of time watching his father tinkering and listening to his incomprehensible mechanical jargon. For someone _so_ creative and innovative, Hiccup could be very boring if he went off on one of his rants about how something worked. But now, all that stupid chattering was paying off as Finn was having a laughably easy time figuring out how this contraption worked. Apparently this was meant to be a puzzle. Maybe the person who had designed it was a distant ancestor whose mechanical gifts had been inherited generations later by Hiccup. It certainly _looked_ like the kind of weird contraption the Hooligan chief would create. But it was definitely too old to have been installed by Hiccup himself.

Finally, after a minute of working through the puzzle, the lock clicked and the wall swung open to reveal... the Great Hall. Finn sighed in disappointment. He'd been half expecting a secret bunker or something like that. No one seemed to have noticed him open a small section of the wall near the back. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a torch holder that was in a weird position now; apparently that was how to open the passage from within the Hall. The kitchen staff was busy with lunch preparations and hadn't even glanced in his direction. Finn turned to go back into the passageway, preferring to avoid awkward questions as to how he'd gotten there, when inspiration struck him.

The leader of Berk's teenage rebellion smirked as he shut the door behind him and descended the staircase once more. He had a brilliant, completely foolproof plan. Now all he needed to do was get the word out.

Finn tromped over to the Great Hall just in time for dinner, thinking about how he would get the word out to the gang. But that would have to wait. His growling stomach demanded to be attended to and Finn refused to ignore it.

There were many things that the Haddock boy appreciated. Food, for one thing. He was a strapping young man and Odin help the poor soul that interrupted or kept him from his practically sacred food time. Second, weapons and fighting skills. That was probably the only thing he and Brandyn could relate on, which made the guy just past bearable. And third: girls.

In the past, Finn appreciated any girl who'd fawned over him from afar due to his status and strength, he assumed. And his face, he was pretty good looking after all. But back then, he had Helga and he was content with her. He'd maybe shared one or two highly dangerous winks with a girl now and then, but he'd never been with another girl like he had with Helga.

Apparently, his increased confidence seemed to catch a few eyes, or at least one pair in particular. He'd never expected her to ever seek him out. He'd never even thought of her in that way; she just exuded an off limits attitude, not that in previous months he'd been looking for other girlfriend options. But now, with his new-found audacity for breaking rules and pushing boundaries, Finn didn't have any problems. In fact, if one were to label it as a "problem", he welcomed it.

Which is why when Dana Sanders sat beside him at the Great Hall, he didn't bat an eye. The other teens didn't seem to notice the way her fingertips trailed up his arm enticingly, when she scooted into his side until their shoulders were past touching, or her foot slowly trailed up the inside of his leg. Finn caught the flirtatious look in her eye and pretended to be interested in the conversation going on around them, all the while running his hand up her thigh and squeezing playfully. Apparently their run-in earlier today was forgotten, or perhaps it had enticed the Sanders girl to seek him out. He didn't care either way. As far as he was concerned, he'd made his point and now she was certainly making hers.

After a few more minutes of subtle touches and looks, Dana leaned in close to his ear. "What do you say we get some air?"

Though he didn't have much experience, Finn knew that look. Daring. Challenging. Bloody dangerous. He smirked widely and nodded. "Okay."

Dana led the way toward the doors and down the Great Hall steps. Finn followed her to the nearest row of houses, surprised when she grabbed his hand and pulled him faster. He didn't think of her as the hand-holding type.

Finally, Dana pulled him inside a barn and roughly kicked the door closed. Then she shoved Finn into the wall and kissed him fiercely, shoving her hands into his hair and dragging his mouth down to meet hers.

Now, he and Helga had had a few heated moments. But never had Helga completely plundered his mouth to the point where he could barely keep up. He always knew Dana to be wild and tenacious, but he never would've thought her to be so when kissing. He almost felt like he couldn't keep up with her. Finn was a control freak. He didn't like being out of control.

Before long, Dana began yanking his shirt up over his head, her lips swollen red from attacking his. Finn felt the blood rush to his head when she dragged him down onto a nearby hay bale and climbed on top of him. He kissed her back as forcefully as he could, gripping her waist and trying to regain some control, but she kept him pinned. Finally, he grabbed the sides of her shirt and forced them up over her head. But a wicked idea occurred to him halfway through.

Before she could remove her hands from her shirt, he quickly wrapped the material around them crudely so her hands were tied. She struggled for a moment before Finn flipped them over, bearing his weight on top of her. Dana gave a short laugh, trying to free her hands. "While you've inconvenienced me, Haddock, you're a blacksmith. Show me just how good with those hands you are."

Finn didn't think twice. He slid his hands up her smooth belly, taking his time to run his fingernails across her sensitive skin, making her shiver. He kissed down her neck languorously, which made her squirm and pant heavily.

Interesting, he thought. Tickles some, turns others on. Okay.

Dana finally slapped her shirt off her hands, arching her back and digging her nails into his scalp like claws. Finn groaned at the sensation, mouthing the edges of her breast bindings and pinning her hands down at her sides.

"Finn…" Dana moaned. "Y-you're a lot better at this than you look."

Finn trailed his mouth back up to her chin and smirked. "Likewise."

Dana wrapped her leg around the outside of his and firmly grabbed his bicep, bending him to her will. Finn found himself flat on his back once again, drowning in the sensation of her mouth hot against his and her weight bearing down against his belly, keeping him pinned. Her perfume was sweet and enticing on her skin, only drawing him in further. He'd never really thought about Dana before, especially in this way, but dang. He bit her lip, making her draw back with a loud pop of their lips. Finn attacked her neck again, making her gasp loudly.

"You know what we need?" Dana moaned, her hand snaking down his belly between them.

"Hm?" Finn hummed, occupied at her neck.

"More." Dana grabbed his hands and moved them to the edges of her pants.

Finn swallowed heavily, his mind buzzing and fingers twitching at her sides. "What?"

"Just follow my lead, Haddock." Dana kissed him slowly, captivating him so he barely noticed anything else. He forced himself not to think about the situation, what they were doing. He tried to ignore her fingers at his belt.

Then, the door creaked open.

They snapped apart, Finn smacking his forehead against Dana's. He expected his father, mother, Gobber, Horst, heck even Snotlout to be standing there scowling…

But never in a million years would he have expected Adrianna to be standing there, her green eyes lit with such fury it may as well have been their father standing in her place.

"Only you would taint a perfect day." Adrianna finally spoke. "But this is a new low, Finn."

Finn huffed and lay back against the straw. "What do _you_ want?"

"I want lots of things, Finn. What I didn't want was to walk in on my brother giving up his virginity."

"Cork it, Adrianna!" Dana growled. "You seriously think we were going that far? What, do you think we're stupid?"

Adrianna clapped a hand at her side. "Quite frankly, yes. I admit I expected better from some," she stared pointedly at Finn.

He glared at her. "Shutup and go away. I make my own decisions."

"Fine, make decisions, Finn! But _Dana_?" Adrianna asked incredulously. "Have you lost your mind?"

"This isn't your concern!"

"No?" Adrianna cried. "No, of course not. I'll just let you taint the family name with your growing provocative tendencies!"

Dana finally stood. "Adrianna, leave."

"I don't think so," Adrianna countered, raising her chin. "I'm not leaving him here with a slut like you."

Finn's eyes bugged. He'd never heard such a word come out of his sister's mouth. Dana didn't seem fazed. "Like he said, he'll make his own decisions. No need to be mommy and daddy's little helper and check in on him."

"Oh, so trying to help my brother is a bad thing now. Okay. Not like you would understand." Adrianna crossed her arms, staring at Finn. "Come on."

"No."

"If you don't come with me this second, I'm getting dad and bringing him back here. And you know he'll believe everything I tell him."

Finn's face burned. He hated the daddy card. Always being the tattletale, always being on his side. He didn't expect his sister to be on his side here; she wasn't the rebellious type. But she always had to play the daddy card. If you don't listen to me, I'll tell daddy.

"Whatever. Tell him. You always do." Finn said scathingly as he snatched his shirt off the ground.

Dana huffed. "You're seriously giving in to this?"

"You want my dad to come in here, Night Fury blazing, and roast us alive?" Finn countered. "Obviously not. I'll… see you later."

Dana scowled, disappointed and angry. "Whatever." She too snatched her shirt off the ground, untangled it dramatically in front of Adrianna before pulling it on, and walking out the door with her head held high.

Adrianna stared at her brother darkly. "You've got serious issues if you think Dana is-"

"Shut up, Anna!" Finn shouted. "What the heck do you care what I do with my life!"

"You know, maybe I don't! Maybe I should've walked on by and let you have sex with her and then you'd really suffer some consequences for once!"

"We weren't-"

"Oh obviously not." Adrianna chortled, flippantly waving a hand. "I have a babysitting job to get to. Go find something useful to do that doesn't involve losing something you can't get back."

Finn watched her go, his head whirling with unkind comments and emotions that were better left unsaid. Even at fifteen, his mother would tan his hide for speaking any of that aloud. The last ten minutes caught up to him in a whirl and he rested his forehead on the heel of his hand. He set out for home, deliberately ignoring the knot of guilt twinging in his chest.

* * *

Erick tossed and turned in the loft late that night. No matter what position he assumed, sleep evaded him. His head was full of raging emotions and thoughts that nearly gave him a headache. And the twinging in his arms didn't help.

Finally, he rose from the loft an headed to the Haddock house to get a drink of water. Sometimes that helped him calm down enough to fall asleep.

As soon as he walked into the main room, he froze. Adrianna was curled up on her usual chair, a book propped up on her knees. She looked up at him in confusion.

"You okay?"

"Uhh..." Erick cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'm okay. Getting a drink of water."

"Mmkay."

Erick made his way across the room and to the jug of water in the dining area. After filling a cup with cool water, he walked across the main room again. But something kept him from going back to his loft bedroom. Something had entered his mind and, try as he might, he couldn't get it out.

"Anna, can I ask you something?" he finally asked.

Adrianna looked up. "Okay..." she said tentatively.

Erick strode across the room and sat down on the couch, gripping his cup of water in both his hands. "This is hypothetical." he clarified, his heart thumping in his chest the way it always did when he was looking directly into those bright green eyes. "But if I found something out, something important, and telling someone would be dangerous, should I still tell someone?"

Adrianna paused to consider his words before putting down her book. "What do you mean?"

"All right..." Erick leaned in and spoke in a soft voice. "You can't tell anyone what I'm about to say, okay? I don't want you to be involved." Adrianna looked concerned, which only made his heart drum faster against his ribs. "I... found something out. About the gang."

"What?" Adrianna gasped, her book completely forgotten. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Well, like I said, it's... see, the gang leader is really dangerous. He cornered me and told me that if I told anyone, he'd hurt... uhh, someone I care about." Erick cleared his throat awkwardly. "Anyway, I really don't want this person to get hurt. But if I stay silent, I'm an accomplice. What do you think I should do?"

Adrianna focused on his knees as she thought and then turned her gaze to meet his again. "It's me, isn't it?"

"What?" Erick choked out.

"The person the gang leader threatened." Adrianna said calmly. "If you tell anyone, I'm in danger, aren't I?"

"How... how did you-"

"Process of elimination." Adrianna waved a hand dismissively. "Your sister has kids, you wouldn't protect your mom or Nikolas, and Gustav can hold his own in a fight. That leaves Taryn, Cliff, and me. And I think..." she paused for a moment, blushing slightly. "I think, of those three, I'm the easiest target."

Erick stared at her for several seconds, his mouth hanging open. "I really underestimate how smart you are sometimes."

He wasn't sure, but he thought he saw the flicker of a smile pass over Adrianna's face for a split second. "It's not hard to figure out. You just have to think like the enemy."

"Yeah, that's my problem." Erick mumbled.

"Hm?"

"Nothing." Erick shook his head. "So... what should I do?"

"You want my answer?"

"No, I just cornered you late at night to ask you this incredibly sensitive question for no reason whatsoever." Erick deadpanned.

Adrianna smirked. "You've been in this house too long, Mr. Honorary-Haddock." she snarked. "But okay, answering your question..." she shrugged. "I think I can take care of myself."

"You've never been too good at fighting, Anna." Erick stated.

"Thank you for pointing that out, I'd completely forgotten." Adrianna rolled her eyes. "I can defend myself. And even if he does beat me up, no one on this island would go so far as to kill anyone just to get back at someone they dislike."

"I don't want you to get hurt." Erick said lamely.

"I'm used to it." Adrianna shrugged again. "I'll deal with it. And besides, my dad is Hiccup. I imagine I'll have a bodyguard as soon as he finds out."

"This is true..." Erick sighed. "So I should tell him."

"I can't tell you what to do." Adrianna picked up her book again. "I'm just reminding you that I'm not the helpless damsel you seem to think I am."

"No!" Erick shouted, making her jump. He lowered his voice, sounding apologetic. "Err... no. I wasn't implying that at all. You're fine. You're just a... you're not..."

"Yeah, I know what you meant." Adrianna resolutely turned back to her book. "I just wish you'd give me some more credit."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sure."

"I mean it."

"I believe you."

Erick huffed, turning away from his former best friend. This was the extent of their relationship now. There would be a connection, even just for a moment, and he'd blow it. Again. Now he'd offended her, implying that she was incapable of taking care of herself. Except...

The Larson boy suddenly stood up and left the house, walking deliberately to the loft so he could be alone. Irritation washed over him. Why was Adrianna acting so... so _irrationally_? Erick had never seen her defend herself, not in over a decade. He'd seen her mouth off to her parents a few times but that hardly counted; she knew that there wasn't any extreme danger in that. But against those who _were_ dangerous? If there was one thing Erick knew about Adrianna, it was that she had a nasty tendency to become victimized by those around her. People took advantage of her gentle spirit and did horrible things to her because of it. And while a part of him admired her resilience, another part was suddenly furious at her. What kind of life would she have if she let everyone take advantage of her? And why did she get so defensive if he brought it up?

And, most baffling of all, why did he have the sudden, yet very strong desire to protect her at all costs, even though she clearly didn't want him to?

Erick slumped back onto the bed, sighing deeply and staring into the ceiling. Life had been so much simpler when he and Adrianna were little and playing together at Troll Bridge. When his dad was waiting for him when he got home so that he could regale the man in the stories of what had just happened. Nothing was complicated back then. But now? For a boy who had spent a majority of his childhood in the company of a girl, he certainly wasn't any better at figuring out how her brain worked.

Then again, he wasn't so good at figuring out his own brain either.


	16. Checkmate

Finn couldn't fully express his relief when the day was chillier than expected. He liked summer well enough and all its benefits, but the inescapable hot days in the forge and raging sunburns that caused more freckles were practically the bane of his existence. He hated the summer heat, especially on work days.

Fall, though. Crisp morning air combined with the sweet smell of dew on the grass every morning; blustery afternoons to quench the heat of the forge; helping his mom bake homemade apple tarts, pumpkin rolls, cider and hot chocolate; the pretty changes in foliage across Berk's rolling hills. These and many more were the reasons Finn _loved_ fall. It was his favorite season, hands down.

But perhaps the most applicable and convenient of his favorite fall fetishes was the fact that the days grew shorter and night came sooner. The last few days, evening had stretched longer due to the season change. This gave Finn a newfound excitement for his next big hit. Their cover of darkness was even greater, opening wide their window of opportunity. Nights would grow chilly, pulling guards indoors before they froze. Surely his father wouldn't make his night watches suffer. He was a softie, after all; he'd never ask too much of his people if he could help it.

Fearless Finn clanged on the sword a few more times before dropping it into a bucket of water. He watched the water churn to a boil as the steam shot up around his arm. Luckily he had gloves on. The first time he'd burned his arm, it hadn't been a pleasant experience.

Gobber whistled across the forge, ambling to and fro as he put tools away. The teenager noticed the skylight waning already and quickened his pace. He wanted to eat a quick dinner and go home as soon as he could. He wanted to give off the impression that he wouldn't be out and about late tonight. His father's curfew aside, he wanted to give off as little suspicion as possible. Tonight was going to be insane, but if they could pull it off?

Finn bit back a smirk. Who knew just how crazy his father would feel if they could get passed him just one more time before calling it quits? Assuming he could, in fact, call it quits. Maybe he'd have the gang take a break and pick things up again in the spring. Oh man, how his father would hate their guts.

"All right laddie," Gobber interrupted his musings. "Pack up and get outta here."

"Okay." Finn tossed his gloves into his tool box and began stashing away various hammers, pliers, and other items. He walked over to the wash basin to clean his hands. Gobber unexpectedly broke the silence.

"So, how're things at home then?"

Finn quirked an eyebrow suspiciously. Gobber knew exactly what his home life was like. He shrugged indifferently as he rinsed the bubbles off his hands. "Blah."

"How's Erick?" Gobber asked, leaning on his hook. "Yeh like having another boy under the same-"

"Nope." Finn interjected, toweling his hand. "It's not permanent."

"Could be, if his mom doesn't get 'er act together."

"It's _not_ permanent." Finn narrowed his eyes at his mentor. "Erick's just… a pansy."

Gobber frowned. "What makes yeh say that?"

"He needs to learn to let go of the past. Nothing you can do about it."

"Are yeh sure you're the one to judge him on that?" Gobber asked carefully.

Finn scowled at the elderly man, then gave him a shrug. "Why are we even talking about this?"

"Because I think it's important." Gobber stated carefully. "Yeh know, you and Erick have a lot in common. If you gave him a chance, I'm sure you'd-"

"What? Develop a friendship? Become best buddies and share all of our pains and struggles together, maybe weave flowers into our hair?" Finn asked in a sarcastic tone. "Not likely. I'll let him duke out his issues with my dad. Seems more fitting."

Finn glared out the door, catching Thornado's eye as he lay by a nearby water trough. He hated it when his bitterness showed through, but he couldn't help it sometimes. Gobber was the best person to talk to about things, given how much time he spent with the old man. But Gobber wasn't the same kind of advice giver he craved. He was… Gobber.

"You know what I think?" Gobber hobbled over until he was standing across from the teenager. "I think you're jealous of Erick."

Finn made a face. "Am not."

"You are." Gobber nodded. "Your father's showing him love and devotion because he needs it. Deep down you're wondering why you don't have that."

Finn felt the heat rise to his cheeks. "That's not true."

"Finn, listen to me," Gobber said in a firm voice he rarely used. Finn couldn't help but look at him as he spoke: "Your father would do anything and everything to protect you. He loves you. He'd bend over backwards to see to it that you were happy. And he's tried everything."

"Pft."

"He can't raise the dead, Finn."

Finn stiffened. "Don't-"

"I won't." Gobber raised a hand. "But it makes a point, doesn't it? The only thing stopping him from giving you love is yourself. Give him a chance and you'll find him waiting there with open arms."

"He had plenty of chances." Finn muttered. "Screw up so many times, people quit giving chances. Sorry if that's too much for him to handle, but that's life."

Gobber shook his head sadly. "Your father is the strongest man I know, Finn. I hope one day you'll come to that realization."

Finn gave a derisive laugh. "Strength."

Now it was Gobber's turn to narrow his eyes. "Yes. And you'd do well to not insult him when I'm around. I respect him and trust him with my life, as you should."

"Oh, stuff it Gobber." Finn growled. "You teach me forge work and how to fight. You're not the person to tell me where I'm screwing up with my dad."

"I never said that and I'm the perfect person." Gobber scowled. "But if you're not happy with your situation, then stop being so sullen and angry all the time. Let it go."

"I can't let it go, it's who I am."

"Then you're choosing to live like this."

"Yes! I am!" Finn shouted. He swallowed hard and tried to slow his heart rate. "I make my own decisions. I don't need my parents, _especially_ my dad. He can have fun with Erick to the end of his days because I _don't_ care."

"You do." Gobber shook his head. "If you didn't, you wouldn't feel so strongly about it."

Finn rolled his eyes, pushing off the table. "I'm leaving."

"Finn."

The edge in Gobber's voice was the only thing that made him stop and turn. Gobber's expression was tight. "Don't push it. You'd do well to listen to wise council."

"I'm not afraid of him."

Gobber smirked. "You should be."

 _He knows_ , Finn thought. He kept his face neutral as he turned and marched to Thornado, climbed into the saddle and took off. He didn't look back. He wasn't sure what Gobber's motive was behind the entire conversation. Maybe he was fishing for information for Hiccup or maybe he was legitimately trying to help. One thing was for sure: that last line was a warning.

Did Gobber know he was the gang leader? Did he suspect? Did he know something Finn didn't? There'd be no reason for Gobber to keep any kind of information from Hiccup, assuming he knew. His dad was keeping tabs on everyone at all times, pretty much. That's why he stayed out in the open where he'd always be seen. No reason to be suspect if you're always accounted for.

Gobber was right though. His father was smart, smarter than most people gave him credit for. That's why people feared him. People out there always took advantage of him: his stature, his affection for dragons and the like. But his dad had learned to use these things to his advantage over the years. When people think you're weak, small and frail, keep up the ruse and then strike when they're not expecting it. Most of the time, his strikes were in word as opposed to action. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third was not a violent man. He was a pacifist; words before weapons, brains before brawn.

But his son, Fearless Finn Haddock, was entirely the opposite. He wasn't afraid to use his fists if necessary. It all came down to the last man standing. You had to be stronger than your opponent. A battle of wits could only get you so far, and that could cause quite the headache besides. Take out your opponent and the only thing he'll be thinking about is the immense pain he's in.

As Finn marched into the Great Hall, his dragon in tow, he began to realize the immense layout of the game he was playing. Both Haddocks at opposite ends of the table, moving piece by piece, play by play; both stubborn and unwavering in their moves, their ideas, their philosophies.

But only one could come out on top.

* * *

Yet again, it had been a long day.

Hiccup stretched for the umpteenth time as he walked out of the Great Hall. From meetings to guard duty to a very irate arguing married couple, this wasn't one of his best days. Even as he headed home, he knew he would be right back where he started at five the next morning. He couldn't wait to catch this stupid gang in action, if only to regain some of his sanity. On nice summer nights like this, flying was preferable but it looked like Toothless had wandered off somewhere and his human simply didn't feel like calling for him. His instincts told him that he needed to walk home today.

Horst walked by a moment later, waving cheerfully as he went. Hiccup smiled and waved back but something niggled at the back of his mind. He saw Cliff practically skipping home (that boy was _always_ cheerful, it seemed) but a quick scan of Hiccup's surroundings didn't reveal Erick.

Fatherly instinct he'd picked up when Adrianna was still struggling with flashbacks told him that if Erick wasn't where he usually was at a certain time, he needed someone to check up on him. The boy still didn't have any friends and Hiccup could have sworn he'd seen Charger wandering through the village a few minutes before.

The Hooligan chief sauntered over to the woods behind the leather shop. The cleared path had broken twigs and evidence of boot prints. Hiccup followed them until he came to a small clearing. There was a sudden shuffling sound and Erick came into view a second later, fumbling with a bandage on his right wrist.

"Hey!" Erick's voice squeaked the way it had while it was changing. He cleared his throat. "Hey, Hiccup. Sorry, were we going to meet up?"

"No." said Hiccup serenely, scanning his surroundings with his eyes. "Just thought I'd check up on you."

"Oh." Erick gave him a very false smile. "I'm fine."

Realization dawned on Hiccup's face when he took in the awkward wrappings on his friend's arm and a small dagger that the boy had seemingly dropped seconds before. His heart sank.

"You've been cutting again."

"No." Erick said, his eyes not quite meeting Hiccup's gaze. "I've been..."

"Don't lie, Erick." Hiccup strode forward and grasped the boy's wrapped wrist.

Erick hissed in pain but didn't struggle much when Hiccup unwrapped the bandage to find a fresh cut beneath it. It wasn't a deep cut, not like the ones Erick had been inflicting when Hiccup had first discovered the habit, but it was a cut all the same.

"It's just one." Erick mumbled. "And... well, I just thought-"

"That maybe one wouldn't be so bad?" Hiccup sighed, his heart feeling heavier as he stared at the blood oozing from the slit on the boy's wrist. Erick nodded slowly. "Listen to me, Erick: it may not seem like much but keeping this habit up, even a little at a time, is harmful. Your skin is too precious to be marred by self inflicted injuries when you know you're better than that."

"My skin isn't precious." Erick said, finally wrenching his bleeding arm from Hiccup's grasp. "It's just skin."

Hiccup paused before speaking, choosing his words carefully. "You were doing okay before. What changed?"

"I've been... I just... I've been thinking about something and I..." Erick choked out, his expression darkening.

"It's okay." Hiccup held out his hands in a placating manner. "You don't have to tell me everything."

"I did something, Hiccup." Erick exhaled shakily. "I can't get it out of my head. And when I try to tell you..."

"I won't get angry, Erick." Hiccup said in a fatherly tone. "You can tell me."

"You _will_ get angry." Erick insisted, his eyes flitting to the dagger on the ground. "Believe me, I deserve this."

Hiccup picked up the dagger, gripping it in his hand as if he thought it would blow away in the breeze. "This isn't the answer."

"It's what I deserve." Erick reached for the dagger but Hiccup held it out of his reach.

"I can't let you do this." he said firmly.

Erick gritted his teeth. "Fine. I'll find something else. Plenty of weapons here on Berk."

Hiccup stared at the dagger in his hand and an idea suddenly entered his mind. He wiped it on his trousers to clean off the blood before offering it to Erick again.

"You know what, you're right. That's not the sort of thing you can just stop. So…" Hiccup rolled up his sleeve and held out his exposed arm. "Cut me instead."

"What?" Erick blinked, clearly taken aback. "No, I could never-"

"But how is it different?"

"You're the chief!"

"That hasn't stopped anyone else." Hiccup said, gesturing to his scarred neck. "My skin can handle it."

Erick huffed, suddenly angry. "I couldn't be so selfish to cut you to save myself from pain that I know I can handle."

"So you'd selfishly cut yourself? Why is that different?" Hiccup's voice shook with the effort to keep the emotion down.

"I deserve to be punished, you don't!"

Hiccup sighed. "Fine, I'll do it myself." He unsheathed the dagger from his own belt and pushed into his arm.

Before the knife could draw blood, Erick lunged forward and grabbed his hand. "NO STOP!" Erick struggled to pull the knife away from Hiccup's arm. "Stop it!"

"Erick, it's okay, I don't care-"

"Well I do! Hiccup seriously, stop it, this isn't right, you can't be doing this-"

"But what if it's what I want?" Hiccup cried. "What if this is the only way to make you see?"

"I can't let you do this!" Erick wailed.

"Why? Erick, I _want_ to!"

"Because I _care_ about you too much to let you hurt yours-" Erick froze. He stopped struggling against Hiccup's hand, the dagger still pressed to Hiccup's skin. Understanding flooded him. He realized what was happening and he felt his emotions take over before he could stop them. He sniffed and pulled Hiccup's hand away. "Please… please don't."

Hiccup held Erick's shoulder and bent down to make eye contact. Erick realized his eyes weren't the only ones filling. Hiccup's green eyes were red and nearly running over. "Please don't," he whispered.

Erick choked back a sob and closed his eyes. He felt the tears streak down his cheeks but he nodded. He heard the dagger drop to the ground as Hiccup wrapped him tight in his arms. He realized this was what he needed all along. He needed someone to love him, he needed someone to be there for him.

Once again, he was too stupid and insecure to see that everything he needed was right in front of him.

"I'm so sorry," Erick sobbed.

Hiccup sniffed. "Me too. I could've done better."

Erick shook his head. "You can't be everywhere at once. You have other things to do, not just focus on me. I did this to myself. There's nobody to blame but me."

Hiccup slowly stood up straight and firmly held Erick's shoulders. He exhaled slowly and smiled. "No more?"

Erick smiled a little and nodded. "No more."

"Good." Hiccup ruffled Erick's hair. "About time we got home, eh? Astrid said she'd make dinner tonight and that's always good."

Erick suddenly went tense and he shook his head. "Uh… no."

Hiccup faced Erick again, his face etched with concern. "Erick, if you did something," he looked the boy directly in the eyes, "you have to tell me. It's the right thing to do."

Erick bit his lip and sighed deeply. "No. I can't. And I can't stay with you anymore. You've been so kind and I'm... I've…" he looked Hiccup in the eye. "I can't accept your hospitality. And you wouldn't want me to if you knew."

Hiccup reached out and, again, placed his hands on Erick's shoulders. "Erick… you know you can tell me anything."

"Not this." Erick whispered.

"I think you can." Hiccup steered Erick over to a log and seated him on it. "You know, nothing you say right now is going to change anything. You are still cared for."

"Okay. I'm... I guess I trust you."

"Good man." Hiccup said with a smile.

Erick squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. "I'm in the gang."

Relief flooded Hiccup as he heard the words he had been waiting to hear for weeks. He let out a deep sigh.

Erick looked up, his teal eyes wide. "I'm sorry. I know you're angry at me, but-"

"Angry is a strong word." Hiccup interrupted. "Erick, I'm relieved that you told me.

"Wait... you're not mad?" Erick shook his head in apparent confusion. "But you were furious a few weeks ago! You were telling us you'd… I don't even remember all of it but you were going on about that tail and how all of us are springs…"

Hiccup smiled. "That's not exactly how that went but I'm not angry, Erick." he patted the shoulder of teenager he loved as a son. "The truth is, I already knew. I've known for a while."

Erick's mouth dropped open. "What?" he choked out. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I wanted you to tell me yourself." Hiccup told him patiently. "I knew that you would eventually if you knew we love and care for you."

"But I'm the one who planned the jailbreak! I almost got Ava Thorston killed!"

"And that was extremely dangerous, Erick." Hiccup's smile faded. "You are _very_ fortunate that she and her parents are okay, otherwise there would be a much harsher punishment. I can tell you now, you've got a lot of construction to do on Tuff and Svala's house."

"Yeah, of course." Erick nodded resolutely. "Anything I can do to help. I'll build the place myself if I have to."

"That won't be necessary." Hiccup shook his head. "But it's more than just helping Tuff and Svala build their house, Erick. Why did you join it? I know you have more sense than that."

Erick stared at his knees, unable to look Hiccup in the eye anymore. "I don't know... I was angry at myself and sick of sitting around at home... waiting for my mom to find me. So when the offer came... I don't know, I just jumped at it. I got back at her by having her workplace attacked."

"The bomb." Hiccup commented. "That makes a bit more sense now."

"It wasn't just a diversion. It was to get even with her." Erick stated. "But after catching that house on fire, I hated myself even more." he continued to stare at his knees as silence permeated the conversation. Finally he spoke up again. "You're disappointed."

"Yes. A little." Hiccup waited for Erick to look back at him before continuing. "But I'm also proud of you for telling me. You're doing the right thing and now I can help you get away from that. And I know that you're strong enough to do just one more thing for me as well."

"Anything! I'm really sorry, I know I shouldn't have gotten involved and I feel horrible about it!" Erick said all in one breath, gasping when he finished speaking.

"I know you are. And I forgive you." Hiccup told him patiently. "But I'm going to need information."

Erick's face fell and his shoulders stiffened. "I... you have to promise me something first."

"What?"

Erick looked up at Hiccup with a fearful expression. He swallowed before talking. "I was threatened. I told the leader I wanted out and... and he said if I told anyone, he'd hurt Anna."

Hiccup's heart clenched and he felt a surge of anger. The nervous expression on Erick's face made him wonder if the scary chief who had conducted the village meeting had come back for a brief second.

"He threatened Addie?" he muttered.

"I told him not to touch her and he hasn't, not yet. But he's dangerous. A bunch of people want to leave and he's forced them to stay." Erick told him.

"He's not going to touch Addie. Or any innocent he's threatened." Hiccup said through gritted teeth, rage building in his chest. "I won't let him."

"You're sure?" Erick bit his lip. "If something happens to her or someone else-"

"I have methods, Erick." Hiccup said, perhaps a bit more sharply than he'd intended. "So who is it? Who's the leader?"

Erick shook his head. "You're not going to like it."

"You have to tell me." Hiccup insisted, leaning forward slightly in his eagerness. "I can't protect my daughter or anyone he's threatened if I don't know who he is." Erick swallowed and bit his lip. "This could save the village, Erick. I need a name. Please."

Erick averted his eyes, his heart audibly pounding. He moistened his lips before answering. "It's Finn." he looked up at Hiccup, his eyes full of fear. "Finn's the leader of the gang."

* * *

"This is crazy."

Finn ignored the complaint, trudging through the woods with a small crowd behind him. He scratched the edge of his mouth through the mask, wishing he could take it off. But he didn't dare.

"Dude, we shouldn't do this, this is stupid."

" _Shut up_!" Finn hissed over his shoulder at the two teenagers walking behind him. Both visibly gulped. "Just because there's no moon and its colder out, doesn't mean there aren't _any_ guards around."

The teen closest to him, Helga, shuddered underneath her mask. "Finn… really, we don't want to get-"

"We _won't_." Finn nearly growled, fighting to keep his voice low. "Shut up or the first thing I'm doing when we get in there is to find Gunnar-"

"Okay!" Helga amended. She swallowed hard. "I-I just-"

"You're being a coward. Shut up."

Finn faced forward again, waiting. They walked through the thick foliage until they reached the opening to the passage Finn had found. He wordlessly waved for the others to crowd around the rock as he moved it over, dimly illuminated by the light from Cale's lantern.

"Let's move."

Without waiting for them, the teenager slid into the passageway and ran toward the Hall. He heard soft footfalls behind him. Though Cale's lantern was the only source of light, he soon became aware of one of the teenagers catching up to him. He knew who it was even before they spoke; he would know that out of shape puffing anywhere.

"This is stupid." Erick panted through his mask.

"Gods, five minutes!" Finn nearly growled, pushing the door open a crack. "Five and we're out of here!"

"A lot can happen in f-"

"Larson, shut your face or I'll shut it for you." Erick gritted his teeth and looked away. "Better. Now get in there. Last one in, close the door." Finn glared at Erick as he shoved past into the Hall, and then stepped in behind him. Cale placed his lantern in the passage before sealing it and the entire gang fanned out behind their leader

The Great Hall looked massive in the darkness. The lack of moonlight outside formed a strange, inky darkness akin to the never-ending depths of the ocean. Seeing the usually comforting building so dark and empty made the teenagers shift in place uncomfortably.

As per usual, Finn took charge, grabbing a match and candle from his pocket. The others followed suit, each pulling out a small candle. It had been decided beforehand to use candles as their individual sources of light. Easy to snuff out but providing enough light for them to not trip and die on tables and chairs. Plus they'd be hard to detect through the closed doors.

"All right, let's get this over with. You three go over there," Finn pointed to Jackie, Cale and Frey. "The rest of you with me."

The teenagers spread throughout the Great Hall, their candles lighting up the darkness. Shadows danced across the broad beams, chairs and tables. The bar and food setup areas were a massive black hole on the right side. The farthest parts of the room couldn't be seen with their measly flames.

Every person had his or her instructions. If everyone bashed and trashed enough things in less than two minutes (without creating too much noise), they'd be out scot free. Whether everyone made it to their homes or not was another matter entirely, but Finn intended to take care of himself at that point. To a certain extent, it was every man for himself.

Tables flipped, barrels rolled and chairs scattered around as Cale and Frey went to town at the bar. A few glasses were tossed to the ground over their shoulders, shattering upon impact on the stone ground. Finn suppressed the urge to yell at them to be quieter.

Without prior notice, the Great Hall doors slammed shut with a horrendous bang. The teenagers jumped and whirled to the doors, barely visible in the darkness. Nothing could be seen in the area. Erick sidestepped to Finn as quietly as he could, "What was-"

"I thought we closed the door." Finn interrupted in a hoarse whisper.

"We did…" Erick swallowed thickly, heart in his throat. "Did someone sneak in?"

"Nobody's that fast. Not even…" Finn paused, glancing at Kaelan on his other side. "Hey, go check it out."

"Me?" She asked incredulously, a few blonde curls sticking out of the eye holes of her mask. "You're the one who wants-"

"Go." Finn ground out with gritted teeth.

Despite the mask, Kaelan gulped at his expression. "Fine." The 14-year-old girl slowly marched back toward the doors, the rest of the group watching warily. Halfway there, a loud creak erupted from the rafters above. The teenagers whirled, looking up, hearts pounding.

"Finn." Erick whispered. "We gotta get out of here."

The Haddock heir wanted to argue, but couldn't deny that his own heart was beating out of his chest. "Fine. Let's go." He brushed past Erick to meet Kaelan at the door, and froze.

A red, scaly face with green eyes hovered just above her head, grinning at her with sharp teeth.

"KAELAN!" Finn shouted, too late.

The Changewing roared, catching the girl off guard. She screamed in terror as it took her in its claws and flew to the rafters. Not a second after, a large fireball shot into the center fireplace, lighting up the Great Hall with a white hot BANG! The teenagers cried out in fear and pain, momentarily blinded.

"GO, GO, GO!" Finn yelled to them, charging toward the doors. The teenagers converged toward the doorway, but suddenly Thorein slammed into the floor belly first, then was yanked backwards and toward the rafters with a bloodcurdling scream. Finn watched in near slow motion as a rope caught Helga on the ankle as she ran, collapsed, and then shot into the darkness above.

Another white hot blast of fire hit the pit and the remaining teenagers hit the ground. Disoriented and scared, they clambered to their feet in time for another dragon to swoop down and snatch them off the ground. Gunnar and Jackie screamed as they were carried off. In less than a minute, only Finn and Erick remained.

A man dressed in all black jumped down from a nearby pillar and grabbed Erick's arm, wrenching him back and against the pillar. Finn nearly made it to the door when a sonic whistle sounded above, and he instinctively skidded to a halt and hit the deck. The blast slammed against the doors with finality, a ring of purple shooting throughout the Hall. Luckily the door was made to withstand even the strongest dragons' firepower, but still it flamed.

Finn looked around the destroyed Hall, slightly dazed. Under normal circumstances, such destruction would've made him proud. But in fact, it shocked him. He hadn't even done all this. Yet it made his stomach churn just what a little firepower could do. He heard a terrified squeal and looked up, shocked to see his friends dangling from ropes by their ankles or in the clutches of dragons.

The council glared down at him from the rafters. He briefly wondered if he'd been spared for a reason. If they didn't know who he was, they probably would soon enough. As he got to his knees, he froze, the sound of a familiar step- _thunk_ breaking the silence. He swallowed and looked up at his father, who emerged from the darkness, standing atop the edge of the fire pit. Finn briefly wondered how he was able to withstand the heat still roiling over the edges.

Chief Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third stood regally on the edge of the fire pit, his Night Fury crouched beside him on the ground with a snarl on his face. Finn had never been afraid of his father's dragon before. But he knew one false move and Toothless would pounce.

Hiccup stared at him with the most calculating scowl he'd ever seen. Finn wondered if he knew which little imp he was staring at. Then he looked up at the other teenagers dangling above. The silence, other than the crackling of fire and Toothless' low growls, was deafening.

"Un-be-lievable." Hiccup finally muttered, turning his eyes back on Finn. Without another word, he snapped his fingers and the council began lowering the teenagers. Many of them yelped or trembled, even after they were deposited on the ground beside Finn. The guards, councilmen and dragons formed a tight circle around them.

Hiccup dropped to the ground, right leg first. Slowly, he walked to the center of the circle and faced the teen at Finn's far right. He stared at the girl for a moment before reaching up and tearing her mask off. Jackie winced, staring at the ground. The chief stared at her in shame for another moment, then moved on to the next. Helga's hair tumbled to her shoulders and she tearfully stared at her chief before shamefully looking at the floor. The little boy standing beside her holding her hand whimpered when Hiccup stood in front of him.

The chief rested his hand on the boy's shoulder and carefully took off the mask. Gunnar let out a sob when his face was revealed, and then hid in Helga's arm. Finn faced forward, gritting his teeth, maybe a little bit anxiously.

Cale and Frey came next, to which Hiccup muttered, "No surprises there," and moved on. Kaelan visibly shook in place, clearly shaken. Her blonde curls stuck up in every direction when he removed the mask. She swallowed hard, steeling herself before looking up at the chief. "I'm sorry," she squeaked. "I-I didn't-"

"Sh." Hiccup told her in a gentle, yet firm voice.

Finn tensed when Erick grabbed his own mask, wrenched it off and threw it at his feet. The Haddock boy gave him a glare, which went ignored. Hiccup practically walked past Erick, which Finn would have thought more about if his father wasn't suddenly standing in front of him.

Steeling himself, Finn waited for his father to grab his mask. Did he already know? Would he be shocked? What would he say?

Hiccup broke the silence. "Why don't you swallow your pride and reveal yourself." It wasn't a request.

Finn heard the reprimanding disappointment in his father's voice and the fear fled his system. So what if he knew? Might as well make it count. With an air of defiance, Finn ripped the mask off his head and tossed it over his shoulder. "There. Happy?"

Silence took over the room as the Haddocks stared each other down. Finn called upon every single ounce of anger and contempt and stubbornness he had in his system to not crack under his father's steely gaze.

"I ought to smack the smug look right off your face." Hiccup whispered.

"Do it." Finn dared.

Hiccup tensed, giving Finn a flash of pride. From the corner of his eye, the teenager could see his mother standing with her arms crossed with a murderous expression. His father he could deal with. He'd have to think of something good to placate her.

"Gunnar." Hiccup broke the silence sharply. The teenagers jumped, especially the boy in question. "Go see your father." The chief's eyes never left his son's.

Gunnar stared at the chief for a moment in shock before finding his father, Fishlegs, in the circle. His scowl too, was murderous. The boy glanced at the chief once more before inching his way toward Fishlegs, who steered him into a chair with three fingers. The boy made no moves to fight. Helga swallowed nervously but remained in her place.

Finn wondered how long he could stare his father full in the face. Deep down, he could feel his resolve cracking. Those green eyes were unnerving after several minutes of glaring with hardly a blink. He could almost see the artery in his dad's neck pulsing with suppressed anger.

Finally, Finn caught a whiff of smoke and chanced a glance at the burning rubble. "For the record, you did more damage in here than we did."

Hiccup's face crumpled into a sneer and Finn nearly stepped away. "Don't patronize me."

"Hey if a guy can't be honest then-"

"Finn, shut up." Helga interrupted.

"You shut up."

"All of you shut up." Hiccup commanded, his voice echoing slightly. Stepping back from Finn, he took in all of them. He huffed in disbelief. "Look at all of you. This is our next generation, folks, the coming leaders of our village. I'm practically beaming with _pride_." He fixed his eyes on Finn.

Finn scowled. "Oh don't look at me like I'm the disappointment. You brought this on yourself."

"Oh really?" Hiccup asked. "I've done many disappointing things in my life, but I didn't ask for this. Don't you dare try to pin this on anybody else because this is _your_ doing, Finn. This started with you and it's _ending_ with you. Right now."

Finn sniffed with indifference.

"Here's what's going to happen," Hiccup walked past the teenagers as he spoke. "Every single one of you is going to stand trial. One on one time with me and two council members of my choice. If we find you guilty, which we will, you'll carry out a sentence of whatever we decide. There will be no complaining. There will be no more interaction between you. And if I even sense a single thing going on behind my back, you'll be the first to spend some _real_ time in the jail as a criminal. You asked for this, you forced my hand and don't expect me to be generous."

"You let Gunnar off the hook, so-" Cale began.

"Oh Gunnar's not off the hook," Hiccup shook his head. "Not by a long shot."

"Then why's he get to-"

A meaty fist grabbed Cale by the collar and yanked him down. Snotlout stood beside Hiccup with a wrathful expression. "Shut your mouth! I'm sick to death of you mouthing off to people! If you're such a man, shut up and take the lecture with a little respect!"

Cale's face turned puce but he kept silent. Apparently he didn't like his honor called into question.

"Especially with your recent fiasco at the winery," Hiccup cocked his head. "I'd hoped you'd have a little more sense than this. I guess I shouldn't have such high expectations."

The dark-haired teenager chortled. "I'm not one to back down so easily. Even if you'd have made us sit in the jail for a month, we wouldn't have given up."

"Evan did."

"Evan's an idiot," Cale scowled.

Hiccup laughed derisively. "Smarter than the rest of you, apparently."

"So I'm supposed to believe that it was his _brains_ that kept him out jail then?"

Finn snorted. "Evan doesn't have two brain cells."

"What kept him out of jail," Hiccup sent Finn a glare. "is none of your business. You never should've left your cell."

"You have Larson to thank for that." Cale smirked at the blonde teen, who jumped on Finn's other side.

"No need to worry, Erick's already well taken care of." Hiccup gave the teen a fake smile.

Finn stiffened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means the only thing you've got to worry about is yourself." Hiccup replied sternly.

The Haddock teen looked at Erick standing on his right, head down and eyes shifting nervously. Then he looked at his dad, staring him down with arms crossed. Something wasn't right here.

Erick had been living at the Haddock house for a couple of weeks now. He seemed to be gradually getting out of his rut of depression due to the Haddock parents' assistance, but in that time he'd asked Finn multiple times to leave the gang. Finn had had to threaten him almost every time.

Many of the teenagers seemed to have been nervous about tonight's hit at the Great Hall, but Erick especially had tried to make Finn leave. He acted just as shocked about their capture as the other teens… but the adults didn't seem to be scrutinizing him like the others. He'd forcefully identified himself to the council. He looked ashamed to be here, but didn't seem to be surprised at what was happening.

Then, it hit him. Despite all the threats, Erick had _snitched_. Finn felt his blood boil, his body shaking in rage. " _You_."

Erick had half a second to jerk away as Finn lunged at him, grabbing him by the shirt. Finn raised a fist to punch the Larson boy when a strong hand grabbed his arm and the world suddenly spun. The air was knocked out of him when he slammed into a pillar, his father pinning him with a fist on his collar.

"ENOUGH!" Hiccup roared.

Finn blinked, unable to hide the surprise. His father had _never_ manhandled him before. He'd _never_ yelled at him straight in the face. The experience was so new, so strange, he almost didn't register how quickly his dad had incapacitated him.

"I don't care what kind of story you're concocting in your head, Finn, but listen closely," Hiccup growled, face reddening by the second. "Erick did the _right_ thing by coming to me, and he didn't come to me out of the blue and decide to lay it out on the table. I knew he was the gang _weeks_ ago. I've been waiting for him to come to me, and the fact that he had the guts to do it shows how much more mature he is than you."

Finn felt heat rise to his face when he realized all his friends were standing there, watching the exchange. Not to mention the adults. Oh, gods.

"And that you had the _gall_ to threaten my _daughter_ on top of it," Finn pressed against the pillar when Hiccup tightened his grip. " _Nobody_ threatens my daughter. You of all people should understand that."

Finn found his courage and pushed his dad away, only slightly surprised when Hiccup let up. "You and your precious daughter."

"She doesn't-" Hiccup stopped himself, remembering their audience. Shaking his head, he turned to the rest of the group. "No. We'll finish this later."

"Yeah, because you can't just say what you're thinking in front of all these people. Wouldn't want to taint the image or anything," Finn spat.

Hiccup stiffened. "No, it wouldn't be appropriate, I'll deal with you later."

"Later," Finn nearly growled. "Just like another problem on your list of things to solve-"

"YES, Finn, a problem!" Hiccup erupted, unable to hold it back. "You're not making sense! You want me to go away and not talk to you, just leave you to your own devices, you do ridiculous stuff like _this_ ," He gestured grandly to the Great Hall, "And then you have a problem when I'm upset and treat me like I'm the bad guy!"

Finn stepped up to his dad, nearly nose to nose if he wasn't a few inches shorter. "You always have been the bad guy! In case you haven't noticed, things have always been pawned off to 'later' long before you even were chief!"

"You are so cruel, Finn!" Hiccup reprimanded.

"And you're nothing but a FOOL!"

A few gasps emerged from the group as Finn watched hurt take over his father's face. Hiccup swallowed and stepped back. Finn ignored the surging guilt and decided to twist the blade. "It's true, isn't it? I've gotten past you so many times, it took you half a year to figure out it was me! You've lost your touch because you're just not as great as you thought you were! And you can't even argue with me!"

Hiccup clenched his jaw and finally looked away. The silence was deafening.

"Yes." Hiccup finally murmured. "I am a fool in many ways. I'm not the best parent in the world, and I don't claim to be. I was a fool to ever let you shove me away. I could've done better in many ways as a dad." Hiccup straightened again, resolve coming back into his voice as he addressed the group. "However, for the rest of you, I'm afraid I did everything I could to warn you of the consequences if you were caught. Council, take them to the jail. Individual cells for everyone. No talking, food or water."

Kaelan began to cry at that. "H-how long do we have to stay?"

Hiccup finally turned away from his son to look at the girl. "Trials in the morning, bright and early. You're all dismissed. Except _you_." The chief pinned his son with a glare so hard, he barely dared to breathe.

Finn swallowed thickly as the council shackled the teenagers and led them out of the Hall. He scowled when Snotlout rested a hand on Erick's shoulder and escorted him out of the building without shackles. So the snitch was apparently getting off scot free?

The Great doors slammed to a close and Finn suppressed a flinch. He glanced around the room. His father, mother, Gobber and Toothless were the only three that remained. He avoided contact with all three adults until he heard sudden, rushed footsteps.

He looked up in time to see a flash of skin and a resounding slap echoed across the room. Finn stumbled back, his cheek flaring with pain. He stared at his mother in open shock. He thought he heard a gasp from Gobber, but he was more shocked at the tears nearly flowing out of her eyes.

"How could you DO this to us?" Astrid yelled. "After everything we've done for you, this is how you repay us? And you'd threaten your own SISTER-"

Finn backed away as she yelled at him. Then his dad came up behind her, taking her by the arm and pulling her toward him. Astrid tugged to free herself, looking like she wanted to slap him again.

"Astrid." Hiccup murmured. "Not like this."

The Haddock matriarch roughly rubbed her face, breathing hard. She finally turned and walked a few steps away, trying to regain some control. Finn again found himself standing in front of his dad again. Hurt, anger, betrayal: these and many more emotions clashed in his father's green eyes.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself that doesn't involve blame shifting or hating my guts?" Hiccup finally asked.

Finn pursed his lips. "Hmm… nope."

"Come on, Finn," Gobber hobbled forward. " _Why_? What would possess you to do this to the village?"

"There has to be some reason," Astrid crossed her arms, face splotchy.

Finn tried to ignore the knot of tension growing in his chest. He tried to make his voice come out strong, but he could feel his resolve crumbling. "I-I don't know… the first time wasn't really intentional, it just… sounded fun-"

"Fun?" Hiccup asked adamantly. "You have a dragon! You have weapons, you have the arena, the woods, the mountains, the ocean, and the sky! The possibilities of fun are literally at your fingertips, the things you could do and spend your time on! And instead you prey on people's livelihoods? You prey on _people_?"

Finn winced. "Ava was an accident."

"And to say you're lucky she wasn't hurt is a gross understatement." Hiccup growled in a way that made Finn's tingle. "Tell me, what would you have done if she'd been killed? Or Tuffnut, a man who you've known your entire life, or his wife, Svala?"

Finn looked away. "I don't-"

"You don't know doesn't cut it." Hiccup interrupted. "What would you have done? Would you have had the guts to go to Tuffnut and Svala's doorstep and tell them to their faces that you killed their _baby_ , the one child that they've been blessed to have, the one they waited for for _years_? WHAT would you have done?"

"I don't know!" Finn cried.

"Exactly! You don't have a single clue just what might have happened!" Hiccup shouted. "You guys could have _killed_ someone, and you of all people should understand what happens in freak accidents!"

Finn's blood went cold and he stared at his dad.

"It only takes a second for something to go wrong." Hiccup intoned in a quieter voice. "Am I right? Or am I wrong?"

Finn swallowed hard and nodded shortly. He couldn't hide the guilt for nearly killing baby Ava Thorston if he wanted to.

"Now, why the gang? What was the purpose?" Hiccup asked.

Finn frowned, shaking his head. "It was something to do, we were bored, and the rush of running from the guards got… exciting, I guess."

"Exciting." Gobber nodded. "Excitement, you two remember the excitement of dragon training I gave you all those years ago? Yeh, I could give you something really exciting to do if you wanted, Finn."

"Finn," Astrid stepped closer. "I understand the adrenaline rush. I would be up sun up to sun down practicing with my axe in the woods. Your father understands too, you should've seen the stupid stunts he and Toothless pulled back in the day! We get it! But this isn't the way!"

"That's not the only reason anyway," Hiccup broke in, eyes intent on Finn. "This was all to get back at me, wasn't it? Make my life more difficult?"

Finn squirmed in place. Finally he settled on walking toward some tables to relieve some of the antsiness. "No..."

"You don't sound very confident with that answer."

"No! That wasn't it!" Finn glared.

"And now you're lying."

Finn gritted his teeth and plopped into a chair, rubbing his face. "I don't even know, it was a long time ago!"

"Not that long ago." Astrid scowled. "Don't make excuses because we're not leaving until we get a straight answer."

"I think that's what it is," Hiccup crossed his arms, walking around the table at which Finn sat. The teenager tensed as his father circled him. "I think deep down you're angry at me for everything that I've ever done wrong against you, both intentional and not. And because I'm so busy, the only way that you can get back at me by, what you would say as the only way to get my attention, is to get through to me through my work." Hiccup stood in front of him, staring down at him with a hard frown. "Make my job more difficult, then I'm sure to catch on."

"If that's how you want to put it, fine."

"Do you just want attention?" Astrid asked.

Finn flushed. "No."

"I don't think that's the truth either," Hiccup said. "I think that's exactly what you want, deep down."

"I want you to leave me alone."

"Not gonna happen." Hiccup leaned against the table on his hands. "I've got you right where I want you, just like the little criminal you are. And you're not going anywhere until we get to the bottom of this. What do you want?"

Finn looked away, his heart lurching into his throat. "Nothing."

"Whether you want to admit it or not, Finn, you need us." Hiccup said. "You need _me_ more than you realize."

"I don't _need_ you." Finn hissed.

"Then why are you so desperate to get my attention?"

"I'm not- _wasn't_ trying to get your attention; it was just a bunch of over-the-top pranks!" Finn shouted.

"Pranksters always want attention," Gobber sat down nearby, getting cozy.

"I don't need _his_ attention!"

"Whether you feel like it or not, Finn, you've got my attention. I've been paying attention this entire time, trying to figure out what the problem is-"

"There _isn't_ a problem." Finn ground out.

"But I can't fix the problem if you don't let me in and tell me what the problem is!"

"I don't NEED you to fix any of my problems, you need to just go away and leave me alone!" Finn's voice cracked at the end. He pushed the palms of his hands into his eyes, blocking them out. Suddenly he felt very overwhelmed. Too much stress was being pushed onto him, which only brought back bad memories.

The sound of scraping chairs broke the silence and he knew his parents were sitting down across from him.

"Finn," Astrid said softly, grasping his wrist. "Look at us."

The teen pulled at his bangs with his fingertips, suddenly mortified at the realization that his eyes were getting wetter by the second. All his barriers were being broken by the second. He was losing control fast. He shook his head stubbornly and didn't move.

"We're not going anywhere, Finn." His dad's voice spoke softly. "We're not supposed to. We're your parents."

"We're not always going to agree. Our parents certainly didn't approve of everything we did, and we certainly didn't agree with everything they said. But our parents, well, my mom and his dad, they were still there for us, in the good and bad times. Especially the bad times."

Finn swallowed hard, forcing himself to breathe slow and normal. He didn't want them to know just how hard it was for him to not get emotional right now. He had to stay in control.'

"It doesn't matter anymore. Do with me what you want." he said through gritted teeth. "At least I'll be out of the way so you can spend more time with the son you _want_." he emphasized the last word with so much malice, Hiccup flinched slightly.

"Erick isn't... no. That's not important right now." Hiccup leaned forward. "This isn't about him. But if you even think about going after him-"

"I'll do what I like with traitors." Finn hissed.

Hiccup's face reddened. "Traitor? You want to talk tyranny? Okay, how about this: you've gone against _everything_ your grandfather stood for, let's start there. You've spat in your mother's face for all her love and wise council and patience she gives you day in and day out. You disrespect my authority as if you would stand above me. You would mock and despise those who are smaller than you, younger than you, physically weaker than you while you uplift yourself as if you're so much better!" Finn felt his back muscles tighten against the chair the louder his father's voice got. "You act in the same evil that was dealt to Benen every day when he was a slave, and you treat his memory like the dirt on your shoes-"

Finn's gaze snapped to his father. "No!"

Hiccup continued without pause, "And you would act as if someone doing the right thing by getting the heck AWAY from you is doing you some disservice?! You want to talk about who's betraying who, let's talk about it!" Finn honestly wanted to back away; he'd never had his father's wrath directed at him before. Not like this. "Give me some reason that ANYBODY should feel sorry for you or give you clearance! Give me something that Benen would say, that he'd stand up and say you did something right! What have you done to do HIM proud?"

Finn fought to meet his father's gaze. He felt the conflicting emotions in his chest. Deep down in his heart of hearts, he knew his father was right. He knew he was in the wrong. That part of him wanted to start crying, ask for forgiveness. Let himself feel remorse for his actions because that's what Benen would want. Benen would never have wanted him to do all of this. Benen would want him to let go of his anger, ask for repentance for his mistakes, both intended and not.

But it was his other half that kept him from these things. He didn't let his gaze drop. He didn't let his eyes well up in tears. He reveled in the adrenaline coursing through his system. He didn't trust himself to speak for once; he let his eyes and body language do the talking.

Astrid stepped forward to break the tension. She rested a firm hand on Hiccup's shoulder pad, pulling back from Finn. Hiccup gradually stood beside her, though his glare didn't let up. Finn couldn't ignore his mother's firm voice when she spoke.

"Your father rescued Benen. We could've found the island he was taken from. We offered it too, we offered to take him across the lands to find his home, the last remnant of the family he once had. And what did he choose to do? He spent every last breath here, helping you. Teaching you, raising you. And you can't even look me in the eye because you know it's true." Finn hadn't realized he'd finally dropped his gaze. Now that it was down, he didn't want to look back up. "He could've gone _anywhere_ , thanked us and left forever to do what he wanted in the new free life, but he _stayed here_ because of _you,_ Finn. Because he saw a strong, brave little boy that needed to realize that there's more to life than being strong. He saw that you needed that soft yet firm voice. He saw that you needed to see the other side of authority. One that's quiet and calm and worthy of respect. And you've done nothing short of tainting every memory of it."

Silence rang through the Hall. Only the soft squeak of Gobber's boot was heard as he shifted in place.

"What would you tell him to explain your actions?" Hiccup quietly asked. "If life had gone the way you wanted it to and you'd lost someone _less_ important, and Benen was the one standing here, what answer would you give him? I'm honestly curious."

The words "less important" rang in Finn's ears and he almost shattered. But he hardened his resolve. He gritted his teeth and swallowed hard. "Do what you're going to do to me." He turned his fiery gaze back up at his father. "I've got nothing to say to you."

Astrid's gaze hardened and she turned to Hiccup. Finn watched as his father worked his jaw a moment before turning to Gobber. "Put him in the cell farthest away from the others. If he wants to act like a criminal, he'll get treated like one."

"Yes, sir."

Finn glared daggers at his father as his mentor pulled him to his feet. Only when the boy was pulled toward the doors did he break eye contact. Deep down, he felt remorse and guilt. He briefly wondered just how much pain he could inflict before someone snapped. He wondered who would snap first: him or his father? His stubborn side knew it to be his softhearted father. Deep down, his small, weak, rational side knew it to be himself.

Stubbornness reigned once more, and he plowed down the Great Hall stairs as fast as Gobber would allow, forcing himself to stand tall as if he knew he was doing something right.


	17. Grating Nerves

The entire summer, Hiccup had imagined that the night he caught the gang and threw them behind bars, he would sleep well again. He wouldn't be up until the crack of dawn, running himself into the ground as he had been night after night. He'd hit the pillow early, snuggle up next to his wife and be able to truly relax knowing that his village was safe. Maybe he could catch a few more Zs than usual and sleep in a bit late. Heck, maybe he'd even have a few extra minutes to shave this infernal scruff off his face. He couldn't have been more wrong.

Instead, he lay awake most of the night, staring at the ceiling with a dismal frown. Astrid had eventually fallen asleep once her tears of frustration had subsided. The couple was rightfully distraught over their son's actions, behaviors, attitudes. They were at a loss.

So there he lay, the famous Chief Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, wide awake in the middle of the night in his comfortable bed in his warm house while his son, his _baby_ , sat in a cold, dank, uncomfortable cell, probably shivering and feeling alone as ever.

Hiccup stiffened, holding back a groan. The thought alone made him want to jump out of bed and bring Finn home. He couldn't _stand_ the thought of his son sitting in jail like a criminal. But he knew he couldn't do that. He couldn't reward or feel sorry for the boy or allow him to get away with his crimes. Because that's what they were: crimes. Crimes against the tribe, the people who loved and trusted him, Astrid, himself! Even Gobber, who was one of the few individuals who the boy still held in high regard. Or so they thought.

Sighing heavily, Hiccup looked at Astrid sleeping beside him. A soft smile came to his face when she hummed and snuggled closer into his shoulder, her arm wrapping around his waist lazily. Even after so many years of marriage, she still hogged most of the bed, pressing herself up against his body. It was a wonder he didn't fall off the edge of the bed more often. He almost snickered at the memory from their first year of marriage when she'd snuggled him so far to the edge that they toppled out of bed at a whopping six am. Annoying at the time for sure; funny to look back on now. Oh, the little perks of early marriage life. Little did they know of the big adventures heading their way full force.

Gently kissing her forehead, Hiccup whispered, "Things will be okay. I promise."

Tugging the blankets over them, Astrid sighed contentedly from the resulting warmth. Soon the chief felt his eyes drooping, and finally sleep overtook him.

* * *

"Wow. You look awful."

Hiccup grunted in response to Snotlout's flat remark. He swiped a coffee cup from the breakfast drink bar and sat down beside Snotlout. The other council members nodded at him respectfully as he carefully took a swig. He winced and set down the cup. "Ow."

"Hot?" Tuffnut asked.

"No, it's cold."

"Oh, well don't freeze your teeth." Tuffnut shook a finger at him from across the table. "One time I froze my teeth with a massive bite of ice cream and let me tell you, it was singlehandedly the most painful experience of my life. So of course I had to do it again."

"It was awesome." Ruffnut snickered.

Hiccup sighed, giving Horst a look that said "help".

Horst hid a smile and sat forward. "Let's get things started. How would you like to proceed?"

Astrid slid into the extra seat beside her husband, a blueberry muffin and glass of orange juice in hand. "We're going to interrogate them one by one."

"Who's going to be present?" Manny the Mad asked, stroking his sword thoughtfully.

Hiccup swallowed hard, knocking back the caffeinated beverage. He could practically feel the fog clear from his brain as the caffeine hit his blood stream. Shaking his head to clear it, he replied, "I think we're going to mix things up. I'll conduct every trial with one other council member. For instance, Fishlegs will be present for his own children's trials. I think that's fair. Manny, you can help me grill Frey. Snotlout…" Hiccup paused, watching his friend carefully. "Do you want to be there for Cale's?"

Snotlout took a few moments to respond. "I'll do it."

"Are you sure? I can have someone else step in."

"No. I should be there." Snotlout firmly replied. "He's not my relative by blood, but he is my wife's brother."

"All right," Hiccup nodded. He assigned the rest of the council to the remaining teenagers and listed off the order of which they would go. "Finn will be last. We'll take care of him. Horst, what's your plan for Erick?"

The council turned their eyes to the brown-haired man. "We'll crack down on orders this morning, then I'll be taking Erick and Cliff to the mill this afternoon. We both agreed to help the boy gather materials to get the rest of the Thorston's home fixed."

"Good, so he'll be occupied."

"Yes." Horst smiled. "I'll work him to the bone."

Hiccup snorted. "He's honestly repentant, I think. He'll work hard to make amends anyway. I don't have any worries there."

"Neither do I."

"All right, any questions or comments?" Nobody replied. Hiccup pushed back from his chair. "Great. Fishlegs, go get your daughter. Meet me in the back booth."

The burly man sighed heavily and stood. "Okay."

Twenty minutes later, Fishlegs marched into the Hall with his hand firmly on Helga's back. He ushered her to the booth, where she sat down across from the chief with a timid expression. Her eyes were downcast and red, from tears or a sleepless night, Hiccup couldn't tell.

"Hi Helga," Hiccup greeted her calmly. "Before we start is there anything you want to say?"

Helga's brow pinched in worry but she shook her head.

"All right," Hiccup flipped open a notebook and pulled out a pencil. "Helga Ingerman… Fourteen, athletic, smart, pretty, a little crazy now and then. I know you have some of those Thorston genes in your blood so I don't expect you to be prim and quiet. But you also have the Ingermans in there." Hiccup gestured his pencil toward Fishlegs, who sat there silently watching. "You're smart, Helga. What made you decide that this was okay?"

Helga finally met his eyes. She nibbled her lip nervously before replying, "Um… I don't even know when it started. F-Finn…" She swallowed hard. "H-he just went on an adrenaline kick and thought it would be fun. And… it was fun the first time, but after the next few times I knew we shouldn't do it anymore."

"So why didn't you stop?"

The blonde frowned. "Finn wouldn't let any of us quit."

"Why does that matter? If Finn told you to jump off a cliff without your dragon there to catch you, would you do it?"

"You don't know your son as well as you think, chief." Helga replied softly. "Finn doesn't take no for an answer."

Hiccup watched her shift in her seat uncomfortably. He tapped his pencil against the table. "Tell me more. What don't I know?"

Helga's face reddened and she glanced sideways at her father, who merely stared back silently. "Um…"

"Did he threaten you?" Hiccup asked. The girl squirmed in her seat, her hands clenched together in her lap. "Helga." She looked up at him with wide eyes. "I need to know. He can't do anything and you're clearly afraid that he might. What did he say to you?"

Helga's eyes filled with tears. "H-he threatened Gunnar. We wanted to leave the gang and when we asked Finn… when I asked Finn, he threatened to beat up Gunnar." Fishlegs stiffened in his chair. "And he threatened Gunnar every time he brought it up. P-please don't be hard on Gunnar, he tried so many times to get out-"

Hiccup held out a hand. "Okay," he said softly. "Thank you for telling me. Another thing that may or may not be gang-related: why did you break up with Finn?"

Helga blanched and swallowed hard. "Um… w-well, he's kind of a jerk and I got sick of it."

"Helga, look at me," Hiccup said, waiting for her to meet his eyes. "I know boys. I know how they can use girls to get what they want, whatever that means. They hurt girls emotionally, physically, mentally. I need to know this because you are important. If my son hurt you in any way, I need to know so I can deal with him accordingly."

Helga looked down at her hands. The men waited patiently. Finally, she spoke in a shaky voice: "W-when I broke up with him, h-he got really mad. We were arguing and I told him how mean he is and just how much Benen would hate that. He grabbed my arm and shoved me against a wall."

Fishlegs stiffened, his chair squeaking beneath him. "Did he leave a mark?"

"…um-"

"Helga."

"Yes." Helga whimpered. "There was a bruise on my arm for about a week."

Hiccup felt a torrent of rage rise in his chest, but he'd never seen Fishlegs on the verge of combustion. The man looked like he was ready to march off to the jail and kill the boy himself.

"Has he touched you again?" Fishlegs asked tersely.

"No." Helga shook her head, her lip trembling. "Daddy, I'm sorry, I tried to get out of it-"

Fishlegs scooted forward, his rage dissipating, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. "No. You did the right thing by trying to get away from him. You did the right thing trying to protect your little brother. I'm upset that you ever got into the gang, but we've made a turn. Things are going to change from here on out."

Helga nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck. Fishlegs held her as she cried while Hiccup sat in his seat, debating on the various punishment scenarios he could inflict on his ridiculous child. He shoved the thoughts aside, masking his frustration when Helga returned to her seat.

"All right Helga, first off," Hiccup said. "I'm sorry about Finn. For everything. If he ever lays a hand on you again or approaches you with anything less than a heart-felt apology, I want you to kick him in the hard candies and come find me." Helga's eyes bugged and Fishlegs coughed, masking a chuckle. Hiccup's eyes were dark with malice. "I mean it."

"I-I hope it never comes to that…" Helga gulped.

"You're an Ingerman brain with the blood of a Thorston. If he bugs you again, don't you hesitate. Show him what you're made of."

Helga blinked, trying to hide a chuckle. "Erm… okay."

"Second, your father and I will discuss what your punishment will be. We'll let you know what your job is."

"Okay. I'll do whatever you want me to do."

Hiccup smiled. "Atta girl. Thank you for being honest."

Helga nodded, glancing at her father. Fishlegs stood, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Let's go home, Helga. I'll bring back Gunnar."

"All right."

For the next four hours, the various council members brought the teenagers in one by one to discuss their actions, motives and punishments. By lunchtime, only Finn was left. Astrid insisted that her husband take a lunch break before talking to their son. Hiccup dejectedly complied, wishing he could just get the thing over with already. But as usual, his wise wife knew best; he hadn't realized just how hungry he'd been. After lunch, he felt refreshed and less addled.

Instead of having his son ushered to the Great Hall, where many people were gathered for late lunch hours, Hiccup decided to discuss things with his son and wife at the jail. If things got heated, he didn't want an audience. Even Cale hadn't thrown a fit over his trial and harsh punishment—he'd merely sat there with a sullen glare. There was no telling what Finn would do.

Close to one o'clock, Hiccup and Astrid walked into the nearly empty jail. Most of the teenagers had been permitted to go to their homes with a guard watch, but Hiccup sincerely hoped none of the kids would be so stupid as to start something up. A few dejected criminals, Cale and Frey included, scowled at them as they trudged past, but they continued unblinkingly to the back of the jail where their son sat in his cell.

Hiccup caught his breath when caught sight of Finn, seated in the back of the cell and staring blankly at the wall. Perhaps it was a trick of the dim light but the boy's face looked pale except for the dark circles beneath his eyes. His once bright red hair hung around his face like a dark curtain and his blue eyes seemed dead, devoid of the sparkle Hiccup had become accustomed to when looking into his son's face. It was enough to give him flashbacks to nearly two years ago, when his little boy had sat motionless in his room for weeks, staring blankly at the wall.

The boy's parents pulled up rickety chairs and sat down in front of the cell. Finn didn't move. After a few tense seconds, Hiccup cleared his throat.

"Is there anything you'd like to say to us?" he asked softly, hoping that his voice was calm and inviting.

Finn didn't move. He remained stubbornly staring at the wall as if no one had spoken at all. After a few seconds, Hiccup tried again.

"Finn, I know you hate us right now. And... you do have legitimate reasons to be upset. No one is saying you don't." he said in the same calm voice.

"But you can't ignore us forever. You have to talk to us at some point." Astrid spoke up. When Finn didn't respond, she continued. "We tried. We really did. And we didn't do the best job all the time. We're human. And we always tried to make it clear to you that we aren't perfect and we make mistakes."

Hiccup saw Finn's jaw tighten but his body remained rigid.

"Finn, say something. Anything. Shout, scream at us if you have to, but you _can't_ bottle this up anymore" he pleaded, leaning forward slightly to get a good look at his son's face.

"I'll do whatever I want." Finn said through gritted teeth.

"Yes, you certainly made that clear." Hiccup sighed.

Astrid reached out and touched the bars of the cell almost lovingly, as if she wanted to be stroking her son's shoulder instead of the cold metal. "Do you want to live your life like this? Do you want to be old and alone someday because you allowed yourself to be... hard and bitter and angry toward everything? You don't have to live like this, Finn, you can change this."

"I don't _want_ to change this." Finn spat, his whole body remaining rigid.

"You want something to change." Hiccup stated, leaning forward even more. "You can deny how much this hurts or how much you want to change, but this comes from somewhere. You don't want to live this way, that's why you're struggling with it so badly. Is this..." Hiccup's heart constricted and he choked down his emotions as best he could before trying again. "Is _this_ what you want?" he asked, gesturing to the cell.

"You don't know anything." Finn growled, his teeth still gritting together in an apparent attempt to keep the inner rage contained.

"I know a sad little boy when I see one. You're not the first." Hiccup said softly.

"Yeah, that would be Erick." Finn said the name with so much malice, both Hiccup and Astrid paused.

Finally, Hiccup continued. "I've noticed your pain just as much."

Suddenly, Finn whirled around, his face twisted with rage. "Oh really? Just as much?" he bellowed, his voice echoing in the open space. "Then where were _my_ lunch meetings? When did you give me any time to talk about _my_ problems and _my_ pain?"

Hiccup's felt his throat tighten. "You never wanted to-"

"You never pushed!" Finn shouted so loudly, dust fell off the rafters and into the cell. "You practically strong-armed Erick into moving in but you let me say no one time and it was like I was worth nothing!"

"You're more aggressive than Erick! He-"

Finn let out a humorless laugh. "Oh he was just easier to _deal_ with, I get it."

Astrid spoke up. "Finn, it's not like that-"

"Yeah because while he's practically chopping his arms off from all his pain and struggle, he gets all the love and attention while I don't do anything that drastic so my issues aren't that important?"

"Tearing the village apart is pretty drastic." Hiccup replied, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Yeah but if I weren't, would we even be talking right now? NO!" Finn balled his fists in his lap, panting with the strain of shouting so much. Finally, he took a breath and continued. "You suspected it was me all along. You _knew_ I had to be part of it, so why didn't you just... DO something?" he gestured to the cell around him, lowering his voice to a deadly volume. "This is what it takes. It takes me going to prison to even get a meeting with the high and mighty chief himself. And we both know you wouldn't even bother if Benen were here, you'd have just sent him in to talk me down."

"No, I'd still try to talk-"

"And it _wouldn't have mattered_ right? Because I clearly don't care about what you have to say. You'd have sent him in after your painfully petty attempt." Finn turned his body to face them, raising himself in his seat so that he could look directly in his father's eyes. "You _back off_ too easily. The difference between you and me, I don't _quit_ when I want something, whether it's to get a sword fixed, tear apart a barn, or get a freaking point across!"

Hiccup felt a flash of anger that he quickly pushed down as best he could. He pointed to his neck. "See this scar? Do you know what I went through to get it? Were you there on Brawn, watching me slashed to pieces for you and your sister?"

"Always about her-"

"It wasn't _her_ wooden axe I strapped to my leg. It wasn't thinking about _her_ that gave me the strength to climb on Toothless with a stump that had just been smashed with a hammer!" Hiccup raised his voice, raw emotion seeping through every syllable. "I thought of you and how much you needed a father and I kept on going despite how much it hurt and despite how bruised and bloody I was because I knew you were worth it!"

"What does all that have to do with right now? It's great that ten years ago you were that willing but that was then." Finn growled. "You don't give me the time of day to figure out what my problems are! You'd sit with Anna or Erick _all day_ to figure out their problems! Me, I'm just the strong muscle kid who's weak because muscles aren't what matter, it's the size of your soul, or so says the man who doesn't try hard enough for _both_ his kids, he just uses all his extra time and energy to help another kid!"

"So let's sit down! Let's talk through this! Tell me what you need!" Hiccup grasped the bars with his hands, desperately wishing he could walk into the cell and wrap his arms around his son.

"I shouldn't have to! That's what happens when you have a kid, you find out what he needs by spending time with him!" Finn bellowed, his words cutting into Hiccup like a knife through butter.

"So you insult me, accusing me of doing nothing and never talking to you, and, as always, when I offer you shut me down." Hiccup choked out, his emotions running high.

"How are either of us supposed to get through to you when you're unwilling to let us try?" Astrid asked, her voice far calmer than her husband's.

"If Anna walked in here crying, you'd have her problem pinpointed within seconds!" Finn insisted, rising from his seat and angrily pacing around the cell.

"Adrianna is open! She's expressive! She's always willing to talk through her problems!" Astrid spoke up. "You aren't willing to talk through anything, even when we ask."

"So because I'm different, I don't get anything at all? Just because I don't emote like her doesn't mean I don't FEEL things!" Finn punched the wall in rage, his teeth gritting together and his face reddening at an alarming rate.

"I know, Finn." Hiccup said softly.

"Yeah? So what's your excuse this time?"

Hiccup shook his head, his body trembling with the effort to keep his emotion down. "I don't have one."

Finn scoffed. "Sure you don't."

"I don't have an excuse because you're right." Hiccup looked his son in the eye. "I was wrong to make those assumptions. And I have no excuses to explain away my actions because that wouldn't be fair to you." he stood, fighting to keep his voice steady as his eyes burned. "Your sister is easy for me. She's open, she's emotional, she's creative, she's like a little me. Of course I could pinpoint her problems in a second. And you're not."

Finn breathed a laugh. "Congrats, now you've figured it out."

"So I made the same mistake I made with my father. I didn't deal with it. I didn't come to you for things pertaining to emotions. I didn't let you feel the way I let your sister feel. And that was wrong." Hiccup tightened his hold on the bars of the cell. "I made a terrible mistake and I'm sorry."

Finn huffed. "Stop apologizing. It won't fix anything."

Hiccup lightly exhaled before speaking. "That's all I can do at this point, isn't it? Do you want me to carry on like this or apologize and try my hardest to do better?"

"I want you to _feel_ something painful the way _I've_ felt! Apologizing is just more empty words and promises! Maybe if you literally feel it, then you can have a taste of what my life is like and you can live with the realization that _you_ caused it." Finn snapped, his eyes locked onto Hiccup's as if he was challenging him.

It was Astrid who spoke next, standing up so quickly that her recently vacated chair scooted back several inches. "Hang on a second. Yes, he messed up, we both did, but that doesn't mean that your choices are his fault."

Finn stroked his temple in mock thought. "What was he said to Erick... the boy who's lacking a father could end up in a sorry place someday? Isn't that what you said the other day?"

Hiccup's face reddened. "You're not lacking a father like he is. His father is _gone_ , Finn, just like Benen. I'm disgusted that you'd feel sorry for yourself when he has nothing, and you shove me away continually."

"I shouldn't have _needed_ Benen!" Finn yelled, making them both jump.

"What?" Hiccup asked, completely confused.

"Benen _was_ my father the whole time he was here! He was the only one who made time for me the way a father should! He was the only one willing to participate in activities I enjoyed just because I enjoyed them, even if he couldn't do some of them! He was the only one who was supportive and who didn't think of Anna first! In fact, even with her it was better because he spent time with Anna when he wasn't able to with me! He made time for both of us whenever he could! He was the only one who loved us both exactly how we needed to be loved. And you just let him do his thing all while pretending you were a great parent when he brought out the best in us." Finn paced angrily as he spoke but finally rested his head against the wall. "He was the only one I could... I could talk to." he added in a strangled voice.

Hiccup and Astrid stood in stunned silence. Hiccup felt like Finn had thrown a brick into his heart. This was it. This was his biggest failure as a parent and he had been completely blind to it until now. His heart broke for his son's, for the obvious pain his little boy had gone through after losing the man he had loved as a father. And Hiccup had no one to blame but himself for pushing him to feel that way, for _encouraging_ him to feel that way.

But Finn wasn't finished speaking. "When he died, everything went back to the way it was. Anna was the favorite and I was the emotionless idiot with muscles who needed to be talked down to. Gods, I was used to feeling special. I was used to being loved the way I needed. And instead of stepping up, you just disappeared." he said in a dead sort of voice, his head still resting on the wall.

"Gods, Finn." Hiccup choked out, placing his head in his hands. He felt hot tears drip through his fingers as the full weight of the last year and a half collapsed on him all at once.

"Erick and I both lost fathers that winter." Finn said in the same hollow voice. "It wasn't just me being unable to deal with my grief, I couldn't get past it because I was _so_ alone. And when I started going outside again, you guys took it as a good sign like everything was all right. We were turning a corner. You guys moved on, even Anna moved on, and you left me in the dirt."

There was a long pause as Hiccup and Astrid processed everything their son had said. Finally, Astrid had recovered enough to speak up. "Finn, why didn't you say something? We aren't like Lara, we wouldn't have told you to get a grip and move on like the rest of us."

"How was I supposed to? You acted like everything was fine! Bringing it up would just reopen an old wound!" Finn turned away from them and shut his eyes.

Astrid reached through the bars, her hand inches from his shoulder. "Sometimes you have to reopen the wound so it doesn't get infected, honey."

"NO!" Finn suddenly yelled, pushing Astrid's hand away as he turned to face his parents again, his body rigid. "I'm done feeling sorry for myself, I'm done getting emotional about everything! I won't be weak anymore!"

"Finn, you're not weak for feeling things." Astrid gripped the bars again, her knuckles white.

"That's what _he_ says! Putting down people with natural strength to raise those who are more intelligent and softhearted, and for what? Doesn't make me feel very strong!" Finn snarled.

Hiccup raised his head at last, allowing his son to see the tears still running down his face. "Sometimes the moment you feel the weakest is the strongest of all."

"And you never could come up with wise comments like Benen either." Finn scoffed, looking almost triumphant that he had succeeded in reducing his father to tears.

"I'm not Benen." Hiccup said in a voice choked by his tears.

"Yeah." Finn leaned forward so that he was looking directly at his father. "I wish you'd died instead of him."

Astrid gasped in horror. "Finn!"

"What, all he does is work anyway-"

Astrid slammed the bars of the cell. "STOP IT!" she screamed almost hysterically. Finn backed up a step, his face splitting into a nasty smirk. "Do you have ANY idea what he's done for you, TWICE he's nearly died and for you to say that to his FACE, how DARE you?" Hiccup rested a hand on her shoulder but she shrugged it off. "You are very young, very small boy to think so little of your father. You have no love in your heart, and as much as you praise Benen and put him down, your father LOVES you." she pointed at Hiccup with a trembling finger. "He would DIE for you, as would I. Don't you DARE open your mouth again until you learn what real love is."

"Astrid, don't." Hiccup said softly, taking her by the arm and leading her away.

"You had better drop that smirk or so help me-"

"Please, Astrid." Hiccup nearly dragged her away from her son.

"Running away again, I see?" Finn called as his parents left the prison. "Fine fine, I'll just hang out here until next time!"

Hiccup put his hands on his wife's shoulders when they finally got outside. "Don't let him get to you."

"How DARE he-"

"I know. But this is what he wants." Hiccup wiped a few angry tears from Astrid's face. "Take some deep breaths, okay? I'll be back in a minute."

"Don't bother, he won't listen to a thing you say!"

"Just one more." Hiccup kissed her forehead before heading back into the prison.

Finn was still standing in the middle of his cell. He seemed surprised that Hiccup had returned but the malevolent smirk was still on his face. Hiccup walked at a leisurely pace until he was standing directly in front of the cell and staring into his son's eyes.

"Finn, if you remember nothing else, remember this: I love you. I will always love you, no matter what you say and how much you hate me." he said in a gentle, compassionate voice, his heart constricting with the effort not to cry again at the sight of such an angry, hurt little boy.

"Yeah, right." Finn spat.

"Because love isn't an emotion, it's a choice, a promise. A promise I made before you were born and a promise I make again every single day." he continued.

"Better stop making it then." Finn seethed. "Clearly I'm not worth it."

"Never." Hiccup leaned forward, hoping desperately that his face displayed the sincerity of his words. "As long as I live, I will never stop loving you."

He didn't wait for his son to respond before turning to walk away from the cell. Finn was silent as Hiccup slowly made his way to the door of the prison. His heart was breaking from the effort not to run back and plead with his son to come home, to talk it out, to give them another chance to make things right. But he had to be fair. He had to do the right thing even though it made his heart ache. And so he left his only son alone in the dark, cold, dank prison.

* * *

It shouldn't have been an ordinary day.

Erick felt acutely aware that there were eyes on him as he had walked to the leather shop that morning. What had happened with the gang had spread like wildfire so that by lunchtime, he had felt so exposed, he decided to eat while working. That afternoon at three, he was expected to begin work on Tuffnut and Svala's new house. Other workers had started the project but Hiccup had told them to work on the other houses that needed repairing or building and to let the teenagers build the new Thorston house.

Cliff had been out that morning to pick up some more leather for the shop so it had been just Erick and Horst silently working on their individual projects. Horst hadn't said a word about the gang. Apparently he felt that everything that needed to be said had already been said. Erick was deeply thankful for this; he didn't want his mentor to treat him differently.

Just before he had to leave for the building project, there was a soft knock at the door. Erick found this odd; it wasn't as if customers weren't allowed to walk in on their own.

"Erick?" came a very familiar voice from outside. "Can we talk?"

The youngest Larson felt his heart constrict. Magnus was just outside. He hadn't spoken to his sister in a very long time. He met Horst's inquisitive gaze and nodded.

"Come on in, Mags." he called.

Magnus looked rather nervous as she walked into the shop. She looked around at the saddles and belts hanging on the walls before peering into the open office door where her brother was working. Erick turned to face her.

"Need something?" he asked in what he hoped was a casual tone.

"Sort of. Horst, do you mind if I talk to Erick alone for a minute?" she asked his boss. "It won't take long."

"Go for it."

"Thanks." she called as she shut the door behind her and seated herself in Cliff's chair.

There were a few seconds of tense silence. Erick stared at his hands clasping and unclasping in his lap before Magnus spoke up.

"I talked to mom about what happened." she said softly. "But I don't think she was completely honest."

"No kidding." Erick mumbled darkly.

"She said you and the Haddocks made stuff up." Magnus pressed. "But you don't do that. At least you never used to. What's going on?" Erick saw her lean forward in his peripheral vision. "Why did you join that gang? Why did you move in with the Haddocks, really?"

"Why are you asking this now?" Erick finally looked up at her, his stomach clenching at the sight of the deep brown eyes that his sister had inherited from their father. "You had plenty of time before."

"I have a family of my own, Erick." Magnus reminded him. "And Garrett's been sick most of the week. I wanted to come earlier but I couldn't. Even now, I have to get back to him soon but after all this, I had to talk to you."

"I joined the gang because mom's a _nightmare_ , Mags." Erick mumbled. "Her and Nikolas. You're not in that house, you don't know what happens."

"You're right, I don't." Magnus admitted. "So tell me."

Erick took a deep breath and began talking. He told his sister about Lara blaming him for Aud's death. About Nikolas always making everything worse when they were fighting. He told her about how the gang had made him feel powerful and rebellious and then about how he had tried to leave but had been threatened. He even rolled up his sleeves and showed her the scabs on his arms. Magnus had tears running down her face when he finished talking.

"I left because I had to." Erick finished, rolling his sleeves back down. "I had to get out of that house, Mags. And I told Hiccup about the gang because Finn was completely out of control. I didn't want Annie to get hurt. Or anyone else Finn was threatening."

Magnus dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. "This is my fault." she whimpered. "I made it worse when I didn't let you see the kids and I never came by. I should have come visit you and make sure you were okay."

"Mags, this wasn't your fault." Erick reached forward and took her hand. "Hey, look at me. No, this wasn't your fault at all. You were right, I _was_ unstable and I'm glad you got me out of there before I hurt someone. You couldn't have known it was going to get that bad because you have your own family."

Magnus gave him a watery smile. "Things really are better now?"

"Absolutely. I'm happy with the Haddocks. Well, I was until Finn got arrested. But they're going to work through it. This isn't the first time they've gone through something like this. I still remember when they almost got divorced, it was a huge deal. But they got through it."

"Good." Magnus sighed deeply. "I hope so. I'd hate to see Finn removed from his position."

Erick didn't want to comment, lest he say something he regretted, so he kept his mouth closed.

Magnus continued after an awkward silence. "Well listen, I got to talking with Greg and we agreed that, when Garrett gets better, we'd like you to come around again."

Erick's mouth dropped open. "Really? You mean that?"

"Yes. You're doing so much better. I've missed having you around, to be honest, and the kids have been asking about you. Lalla wants her 'Unca 'Rick' back." Magnus smiled warmly at her little brother. "I thought maybe you could come next Wednesday. Garrett should be doing better and we can cook."

"Yeah... yeah, of course!" Erick's face lit up with delight at this news. "I'd love to. Thanks, Mags! I really, _really_ appreciate it."

"Not a problem." she playfully ruffled his hair. "I have to go though. Anna's got them for the moment but I don't want to make her deal with Garrett's runny nose too much longer."

"Uhh yeah, no problem. And... Annie, can you tell her..." Erick paused, his thoughts moving too fast to keep up with them. "You know what, never mind. I'll tell her tonight."

"Okay." Magnus smiled knowingly and turned toward the door.

"One more thing!" Erick jumped to his feet and hugged his sister. "Love you."

"Aww, I love you too." Magnus kissed his forehead before letting him go. "I'll see you Wednesday."

"Absolutely. Wednesday it is." Erick nodded and waved as his sister left the shop.

Magnus nearly collided into Cliff as she left. The latter was rolling some new leather into the shop and Erick chuckled at the dramatic apology his coworker gave her before skipping in.

"Hi!" Erick chirped. "What's up? Got some new leather?" he took a deep breath. "I love the smell of new leather, don't you?"

"Woah, who are you and what did you do with Erick?" Cliff demanded, his gray eyes widening in horror.

"I _am_ Erick. I'm just in a good mood. Is that a crime?" Erick asked, helping his coworker roll the leather into the back room.

"It's a crime somewhere, I bet." Cliff quipped, making Erick laugh.

Horst stood at the doorway, looking cheerful at the sight of both boys smiling. "Unfortunately, now is about the time Erick's got to get to work on the Thorston house."

"Ooh!" Cliff hopped up and down. "Let me go!"

"Cliff-"

"Please? I gotta stick with my number 1 bro!" Cliff put his arm around Erick's shoulders. "Plus we get out in two hours anyway and you all look done already!"

This was true. Horst had been putting finishing touches on the last saddle when Cliff had showed up and Erick had finished his own just before Magnus had arrived. Horst raised a finger, almost like he was going to lecture the Smedley boy, but apparently thought better of it.

"Oh all right. We'll all go." he relented.

"Yes!" Cliff punched the air with his fist. "Family outing!"

"Sure." Erick rolled his eyes but smiled in amusement. "Come on, then, you big dork."

Cliff ruffled Erick's hair. "That's me!" he nearly skipped to the shop door, holding it open for his friend. "Ladies first."

"Oh shut up!" Erick smacked Cliff's stomach, making him laugh.

"So, how come you're in such a good mood?" Cliff asked as he shut the door behind Horst. "Could it be that you're starting to, oh I don't know, kinda maybe sorta like me?"

"I should have left you on that boat." Erick retorted with narrowed eyes.

"Come on now, boys." Horst patted both of their shoulders. "Be nice."

"We are being nice." Erick punched Cliff's shoulder. "Trust me, you'd know if we were being mean."

"Yeah we'd fight to the death." Cliff punched him back.

"And I'd win."

"Please, we all know I'd win." Cliff stuck his tongue out at his friend.

"Maybe if I was knocked out first."

"You little-" Cliff lunged at Erick, who sidestepped him easily. "You'll pay for that, dear brother! I demand a match! You and me!"

"Arm wrestling!" Erick smirked and flexed his muscles. "I could beat you right handed."

"You are about to be proven terribly wrong." Cliff retorted.

"Boys, come on!" Horst stepped between them. "Where's this all coming from? You didn't used to be this violent."

"Well," Erick said with a grin in Cliff's direction, "that's being a bruh, isn't it?"

The moment the words had left his mouth, he almost regretted them. Cliff looked like he was going to cry. Before the Larson boy could stop him, he was trapped in a bone crushing hug.

"You are the bestest bruh in the whole universe!" Cliff squealed delightedly, making several passersby stop and stare at the two of them. "We shall conquer the world, you and me!"

"I'll settle for breathing again." Erick choked out.

Erick heard a smacking sound just above his head before Cliff let him go. He put his hand on the top of his head.

"Did you just _kiss_ me?"

"Yes, dear bruh, it is the kiss of brotherhood!" Cliff ruffled his hair again, laughing openly.

"Ew, what's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with _you_ , not being honored by my magical healing kiss?"

"Dude, I don't swing that way!"

"Me neither, it wasn't _that_ kind of kiss, gods!" Cliff rolled his eyes. "If you can't handle my affection, I pity you."

"I can handle your affection!" Erick retorted indignantly. "I just don't want to be kissed by a five foot eleven twig!"

Cliff gasped dramatically. "You know very well I'm six feet even!"

"Maybe when you're standing on tiptoe!"

"How dare you!" Cliff said in mock offense. "I give you the honor of being my bruh and all I get is mockery."

"That's brotherhood for you." Erick shot back. "Is it really worth it?"

Cliff paused. "Oh of course it is. I could never stay mad at you!"

"Well we're here." Horst gestured to the mill, which was on top of a small hill. "I went by the construction site that morning and they said they just need some more wood and wood chips. I thought we'd start here."

"Ahh, that might be a problem." Cliff mumbled sheepishly.

"Don't like the chipping machine?" Erick asked as they walked through the doors.

"Nah, that's fine. Pretty cool to watch wood go in and wood chips come out." Cliff shrugged. "I just don't know how to cut wood."

"Don't know how to- oh gods." Erick rolled his eyes. "Someone has to teach you."

"I will." Horst said, clapping the Smedley boy on the back. "You go on and get us some more planks. We'll meet you here in half an hour."

* * *

The door to the jail opened with a loud squeal at the hinges. The guard, Maverick trudged down the aisle with a wooden box of meals, which he pushed into each occupied cell one by one.

"Late lunch today, people," Maverick called out as Berk's various criminals stepped forward to receive their meals. "Apologies from the chef, but lots going on today."

The criminals muttered their thanks, dissent, or derogatory comments respectively. The two teenagers Cale and Frey glared at him from their cells as he dropped off their food. Ignoring the unruly teens, he continued toward the back of the jail where Berk's heir and future chief was still being held.

"Grub for the prince," Maverick announced half-jovially through the bars, extending the last tray.

Fearless Finn sat facing the door, but his gaze was downcast and grim. The guard couldn't see the teen's face but his body language and poor posture showed exhaustion. Maybe the time in jail was getting to him. Maybe he was getting ready to repent of his mistakes? Maybe he'd want to speak with his parents a second time? Maverick hoped so.

"Come on now; eat while it's still hot." Maverick held out the tray once more. "It's better that way."

Finn finally looked up at the man through his bangs. Maverick watched him swallow hard and his heart ached. The middle aged man always had a soft spot for teenagers. It always pained him to see teens get in trouble. He hated to see a young, empty heart. The teenager's blue eyes looked so innocent and sad, he couldn't help but feel sorry for the boy.

"Things can always change, Finn." Maverick smiled gently.

Finn blinked and finally murmured, "I know. But some things can't."

Maverick frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry, Maverick."

Quick as a flash, Finn grabbed the guard's still extended arm, yanked him toward the cell door, and slammed his head into the metal. The sound of bone colliding with metal echoed through the jail, and any sounds of rustling from the other criminals halted when Maverick cried out in pain. Finn slid the guard to the ground gently and rummaged for the cell keys. The keys jangled loudly in the silence, but soon he found the right key and swung his door open.

He stepped over Maverick, his heart twinging guiltily at the man knocked out on the ground. He'd tried to be kind to him; probably tried to give him some ill-conceived advice of some sort. He swallowed the lump in his throat and dropped the keys on Maverick's chest.

Marching past the cells, many of the criminals jumped up in shock. A few called to him, asking to be let out. Finn marched forward, the door his only focus. Only Cale and Frey caught his attention, but only at the last second.

"Hey! Let us out too!"

"No." Finn snapped.

"Where are you going to go, Finn?" Cale asked with a scowl. "Your dad's just going to throw you right back in here."

"Probably," The Haddock heir agreed dejectedly as he strode to the door. "But first, I have to catch a snitch."

* * *

Erick laughed to himself as Horst nearly pushed the Smedley boy down the stairs, who continued to babble about the dangers of a certain Cliff and sharp objects. Horst calmly assured the boy he had a good teacher and that he'd be just fine. Their voices gradually diminished as they made it to ground level and Erick dropped the first log into the machine. He adjusted the control panel from chipper to planks, and pressed the "On" lever down.

The machine hummed to life around him. Adjusting his safety glasses, Erick stepped away from the machine as it clawed at the wood, pulling it down the tube. He glanced over the railing as the machine dropped wood planks onto a conveyor belt below and into a cart, which Horst had grabbed from his barn to carry supplies to the Thorstons. Erick wondered how many planks he should make. He had the dimensions and orders, and he'd looked at the house earlier that morning. He didn't want to make four trips because he didn't get his math right.

Adding three more long logs into the machine, Erick stepped back and looked at Berk across the way. It wasn't far off; just on the other side of a wood clearing. House tops could be seen and various villagers flying on their dragons. He could even see the fishery from here. He wondered what Adrianna was doing right now. Was she babysitting his niece and nephew? The thought startled him, wondering why she'd suddenly popped into his mind.

"Beautiful view."

Erick jumped and whirled around. There, leaning against the railing by the stairs, was Fearless Finn. He looked terrible—smudges of ash from the previous night's Great Hall excursion covered his face, his blue eyes looked dull and surrounded by dark circles like he hadn't slept. His face was a twisted mixture between amusement and outrage.

"Finn." Erick swallowed. "What are you doing here? I thought you were…"

The redhead stared him down with the frightening look. "Where? You thought I was where? Should I be somewhere in particular?"

"Jail." Erick gritted his teeth, his courage returning. He was sick of being patronized by this kid a year and a half his junior. "You should be in jail."

"Yeah, I probably should be." Finn stepped forward. Erick held his ground. "Except we have some unfinished business, you and I. You see, I don't forget an insult. Or a snitch." The teenagers now stood nose to nose. "You ratted us out."

Erick fought the urge to back away. "You threatened Annie. I couldn't let anything happen to her."

Finn sneered, "Stop acting like everything revolves around her! This isn't about her!"

"You threaten my best friend and it's going to be about her!" Erick shouted. "You're out of control, Finn! Did you seriously expect all this to last forever? Did you expect every one of us to lie down and let you mistreat us forever? This is what happens when you're a power-abusing tyrant! After a while, people get sick of it!"

"All right! I'm a power-abusing _tyrant_!" Finn spat. "But you're a weak, father-stealing cry baby that does everything necessary to get attention! Don't act like I'm the only one here who has _issues_!"

"Your parents stepped in to help me!" Erick cried. "Because they _care_! Stop feeling sorry for yourself and accept some help! I'm sure things would be much different now!"

"Things CAN'T be different!" Finn yelled. "And for ratting us out, you're going to get it!"

Finn tackled Erick full force, sending them crashing into the machine's power console. Erick's back slammed into the controls. The machine shuddered in confusion, changing gears and shaking with the effort. A loud whirring sound muffled the sounds of their fight as Finn continued to wale on the Larson boy.

Erick dodged a fist, gasping in pain when the other came around and grazed his chest. "Finn! Stop it!"

The Haddock boy growled, his face red in rage. Grappling with the other boy, Finn shoved him backwards. "I've never met anybody WEAKER than you! You're such a waste!" Finn threw a punch at Erick, who ducked last second.

Erick never was a hitter. But in that moment, all his anger and resentment built in his chest and he swung as hard as he could. His fist connected with Finn's jaw, and the boy crashed to the ground. Erick gasped in pain, his hand flaring. He stepped backwards, shaking his fist and hoping Finn would stay down… when his ankle caught on the side railing, just above the wood chipper.

Panic seized him and he tried to regain his balance, but it was no use. His right leg, still weak from his one day in the gang, buckled underneath him. The nearby railing fell away in near slow motion as he fell downwards. Erick didn't drop far; his body stopped falling almost instantly. But the gut-wrenching pain of flesh and bone shredding to nothing exploded across his consciousness and all he knew was the echoing screams.

Finn emerged out of nowhere, scrambling for his hands and yanking him up onto the platform. Erick hit the ground, clawing at his right leg. He heard someone screaming and felt the indescribable pain, unsure of what had happened. He was blinded by agony, his throat tearing as he loudly cried out, begging the gods for the pain to stop, to take his life right now so that he didn't have to endure it for one more second. He had to be dead already. There was no way anyone could withstand this kind of pain.

Finally he opened his eyes, his sight blurry from his streaming tears, and very nearly passed out. A vast pool of crimson covered the boards at his legs, like paint on canvas. But that was nothing compared to the gruesome sight beneath his knee. A new wave of agony washed over him and his stomach turned.

There, just below his knee, was a shattered bone sticking out of his pants where his right foot should have been.


	18. Enough

Finn backed away from the screaming teenager, his face white and breath hitching. "Oh gods… oh gods, oh gods, oh _gods_!" Images flashed in his mind: a fallen roof, blood soaking the snow, Benen bleeding to death. A sharp protrusion of wood sticking out of his chest.

Pounding footsteps on stairs broke him out of his panicked stupor and Horst and Cliff emerged. The older man gasped at Erick and ran forward, stripping off his belt and tightly tying it above the teenagers' knee. Erick jerked at the movement, a hand clawing at Horst's arm.

"Hold on, Erick, hold on! Finn, WHAT happened?"

Cliff screamed and backed against the rail, his eyes wide and terrified. Finn watched Horst's mouth moving, yelling at the two boys to do something. His stomach churned and he barely made it to the edge of the platform before he vomited. Images flashed in his mind again, combined with Erick's agonized screams. Tears welled in his eyes; this wasn't supposed to happen.

Finally, Horst's voice broke through the barrier. "CLIFF! GO GET HELP! GO!"

Cliff scrambled off the floor and tore down the stairs as fast as he could, his panicked sobs carrying down the stairway. Finn glanced over at Erick and nearly dry heaved. His entire right foot was gone, the bone fragments choppy and uneven and blood pouring from the exposed limb.

"FINN!" The teenager's gaze snapped to Horst, whose face was white and fearful. "HELP ME!"

Finn didn't know what to do. He wanted to run away. He wanted to scream and cry. But instead, he gripped his hair, yanking hard to force himself to focus. Then he edged forward, trying not to gag on the stench Erick's blood.

Lowering to his knees, he stared at Horst. "W-what-"

"Let's get him flat." Horst ordered. "We have to stop the bleeding."

* * *

Hiccup and Toothless marched through the village as fast as they could, keeping at eye out for both Haddock children. When the chief had caught wind that his son had busted out of jail, his first thoughts went to his daughter. Finn had threatened Adrianna, and so help him Thor if that boy hurt a single hair on her head, he'd… he'd…

Well, he didn't know what he'd do. But he _had_ to do something. This wasn't even ridiculous anymore. It was spiraling out of control fast.

Hiccup was told somewhere that Adrianna was at Gregory and Magnus's house babysitting earlier in the day. He hoped she was still around or at least, if Finn had showed up, Brandyn was there to beat the boy to a pulp for him.

Toothless jerked to a stop beside him, sniffing the air. Then he growled low in his throat. Hiccup stopped a few paces ahead of him, instantly on alert. "What is it, bud? Is it Finn? Addie?"

The Night Fury huffed a "no" before a strangled cry sounded from a nearby street. Cliff Smedley tore around a corner, nearly plowing over an old woman and her granddaughter. The teenager caught sight of him and sprinted over to him. Hiccup's vision narrowed to the teenager, whose eyes were unfocused and pouring with tears, his face pinched in terror.

Cliff plowed right into him, grabbing his armor. "Ch-ch-chief, n-need help, we g-gotta g-g-go, h-he needs help-"

"Cli- CLIFF!" Hiccup held him tight by the face, forcing him to look into his eyes. Cliff's eyes focused on his and he forcefully asked, "What happened?"

Tears poured from the teenager's eyes and he choked, "It's Erick! At the mill!"

Hiccup didn't listen for more. He released the boy, jumped into Toothless' saddle and took off.

Cliff sank to the ground, right there in the middle of the street, covering his face to stem the images blocking his vision.

He almost didn't hear the footsteps, but the gentle hands on his shoulders made him look up. Adrianna knelt in front of him, her face pinched with worry. "Cliff! What's wrong? What happened?"

Cliff made a strangled noise in the back of his throat as she looked up, watching her father shout orders to "get to the mill" and "find Mara _now_ ", before he disappeared.

Brandyn stepped up beside Adrianna, worry creased on his handsome face. "Sounds like an accident at the mill."

"Cliff." Adrianna pulled up his face to meet hers. "What happened? Who's hurt?"

Cliff shook in her grip, his tears dripping on her hands. He shook his head and nearly sobbed again. That's when she realized who'd been injured.

" _Erick_." Adrianna whispered.

Her hands fell away from Cliff and suddenly she was running. She heard Cliff and Brandyn yell after her to stop, to stay, but she couldn't. Villagers' faces blurred as she ran harder than she'd ever run before. She knew something terrible had happened. She couldn't be clueless or missing for another catastrophe, not when she could do something to help. She didn't know what she'd find or what kind of accident would make a sweet boy like Cliff cry like a child, but she knew she had to be there.

Erick was depending on her. She wouldn't fail him again.

* * *

Hiccup heard the screaming before they even got close. Toothless swooped toward the mill at top speeds: Hiccup wasn't sure if his dragon was using his senses of hearing or smell over the others. Anybody who screamed like that must be in a _lot_ of pain, and the fact that Cliff had said Erick's name with such terror had set Hiccup's nerves on edge. What had happened?

Toothless beat his wings painfully hard to slow before landing on the edge of the drill platform. Hiccup's vision tunneled. Erick lay prostrate on the floorboards in a circle of blood, wailing with tears pouring out his eyes. Horst desperately tried to stop the bleeding from whatever the wound was, but Finn was blocking the view. Both were shirtless with spatters of blood on their chests.

Hiccup felt himself running. He skidded to his knees beside Finn, who was white as a sheet and stared up at him with terror. The chief felt the blood drain from his own face at the sight of Erick's right foot completely destroyed—now a mangled lump of bone and muscle and blood.

The chief's stomach turned but he turned to Erick. "No. No, no, no, gods, no." He muttered, moving to Erick's leg. He noticed the belt strapped below Erick's knee as tightly as it could go. A sopping heap of bloody shirts sat nearby. Hiccup instantly began unbuckling his leather vest, throwing the garment away before tearing off his own shirt. "Horst, what happened?"

Horst shook beside him, holding Erick's head in hands. "I-I don't know, I wasn't-"

"Finn." Hiccup interrupted, wrapping the thick shirt around Erick's leg. The teenager howled, arching his back and scrambling his arms against the floor to get away. "DON'T MOVE! Erick, don't move! Hold him still!"

Finn leaned forward, using his body weight against Erick's arms to hold them down. Horst pressed on the boy's shoulders.

"STOP!" Erick screamed. "GET OFF ME!"

"I can't!" Finn cried, his eyes squeezed tightly shut.

Hiccup's arms shook as the shirt sopped up the copious amounts of blood in seconds. "Come on," Hiccup gasped, hurriedly untying his own belt. He tied the second belt lower on Erick's leg. He cried out in pain once again, blood pouring out the wound onto Hiccup's chest as he tightened both belts.

"S-s-stop, Hiccup, st-top it," Erick pleaded through a fresh wave of tears.

Hiccup heard the echo of footsteps on the stairs behind them. "I can't, buddy! You need to calm down, breathe!"

Horst's eyes went wider, if that was even possible, just as the footsteps died behind him. "Hiccup."

Hiccup turned. Adrianna stood at the edge of the stairs, her eyes wide in shock and terror.

"Addie-"

"What happened?" Adrianna asked in a shrill voice, stepping forward.

"NO!" Hiccup shouted. "Stay back, sweetie."

Adrianna halted in place as Brandyn emerged at the top of the stairs, his face blanching. "Oh gods!"

"Brandyn, get us a stretcher. NOW!"

Brandyn bolted down the stairs, leaving Adrianna at the top. She held a hand over her mouth, green eyes still wide in terror. Hiccup refocused back on Erick when he whimpered in pain, his head lolling to the side.

"No no no no no!" Horst cried.

"Erick! Erick," Hiccup crawled up to him. "Stay awake, come on! Don't you pass out on me."

"Dad-"

"Addie, stay b-"

"What do you want me to do?" Adrianna asked as calmly as she could.

Hiccup looked up at her. She looked petrified, doing her absolute best to swallow her fear. But she would not be deterred, her face full of strength and stubbornness. She wouldn't leave. She wanted to help. She refused to leave her best friend. Not like this.

The Hooligan chief wiped the sweat off his face. He looked at Finn, who sat pulling at his hair, trembling. His blue eyes darted to the drill machine close by and Hiccup noted that the chipping setting was turned on. A fire of rage sparked in his chest, knowing that somehow, his son had caused this. Hiccup closed his eyes and counted to three. He couldn't deal with Finn right now. Erick had minutes. He had to _focus_.

_One._

_Two._

_Three._

Hiccup opened his eyes. "Addie, hold his head."

Adrianna ran to Horst's side, taking his place. She placed her hands under his head as Horst joined Hiccup on Erick's left. The Larson boy snatched one of Adrianna's wrists, his fingers slick with his own blood on her arm.

"Annie," Erick half-sobbed.

"It's okay," Adrianna murmured, trying for a smile. She pressed her forehead to his, willing her emotions to die. She had to be strong for him. "You're okay. You're okay."

Erick gave her a watery smile. "Y-you… never w-were a g-good… liar."

Adrianna's eyes widened, but she forced herself to stay calm.

"What now?" Horst asked.

Hiccup shook his head. "We've got to cauterize the wound."

Erick's eyes bugged in horror. "No!"

"Toothless!" Hiccup called to the Night Fury, who was by his side in seconds.

"N-no, NO!" Erick began thrashing in Finn and Horst's grasp. "P-please, Hiccup!"

Hiccup quickly yanked a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to his daughter. "Put that in his mouth."

"Daddy-"

"Do it!" Hiccup insisted.

Adrianna shakily moved Erick's head into her lap, wadding the handkerchief in her hand.

"No, p-please, don't-" Erick wailed before she had stuffed it into his mouth. He continued to cry out, his voice muffled and his head shaking from side to side.

"Toothless, small blast. Just the injury." Hiccup commanded. Toothless whined, nudging Hiccup with his snout. "I know you don't want to, bud. Please."

Toothless turned to the teenager's mangled leg. Hiccup turned his head to watch his daughter wipe Erick's face with her own handkerchief, whispering words of comfort into the boy's ear. He heard the sound of a plasma blast. Erick arced his back, his muffled screams echoing all over the mill. He turned back to look at Erick's now scorched injury. It was less likely he would bleed out now but the youngest Larson wasn't out of the woods yet.

Feet pounded the stairs and Brandyn emerged with a few men on his tail, all carrying a large stretcher. Snotlout and Tuffnut were among them, all gasping at the sight before them. But it was the last man to reach the top who shoved them aside, running to his little brother.

"ERICK!" Gustav cried out, his voice laced with terror. Erick's face twisted in pain, but his glossy eyes sought out his brother. Gustav held his arms in his hands, looking in horror at the slaughtered, burnt limb that was once his baby brother's foot. "What. Happened?"

"No time." Hiccup replied as the men helped him prepare the stretcher. "Addie, I want you to hold his head. Don't let go." Adrianna nodded firmly. "Everyone take a side!" The men each took a side, placing their hands underneath Erick's body. The teenager shivered, his face paling by the second.

Hiccup made to stand but slipped in the pool of blood, his own stump shuddering in pain from the fall. He fixed his position and instructed, "All right, we lift in three. Breathe, Erick. One, two, three!"

Erick cried out in agony when he was lifted and transported to the stretcher. Adrianna caressed his head as gently as she could, wishing she could alleviate his pain. Brandyn knelt at her shoulder as her father and the other men strapped Erick in, careful of his leg. She nearly missed her father's instructions to carry him as quickly and carefully as possible.

"Wouldn't it be faster to fly him?" Brandyn asked, his skin clammy.

"Not when he's lost so much blood." Hiccup replied, preparing with the others to lift a side. "He has to keep breathing. Adrianna, keep him awake. Don't let him pass out."

Another three-count and Erick was lifted into the air. The men carefully turned toward the stairs, careful not to slip in the ocean of blood pooling at their feet. Adrianna noticed Finn still sitting in the midst of the red pool, unmoving and unblinking. For a short moment, she wondered why he was even here, before they reached the stairs and she put her focus back on Erick.

Every step was agony. She'd never seen anybody, let alone her best friend, go through so much pain. She wondered if this was what her father had gone through. Had he gone through so much agony? Had this exact scenario taken place, one way or another at Helheim's Gate?

Erick whimpered every couple of steps. Adrianna removed the handkerchief from his mouth and tossed it aside, dabbing his face with her own. A normal walk from mill to village wouldn't be any big deal, but with Erick's life hanging in the balance, every step grated on her nerves.

Toothless walked beside her, crooning sadly at the Larson boy in the stretcher. The men walked as quickly as they could, but Adrianna could practically see the life draining from his face. Erick's usually lively teal eyes were dim and unfocused, darting to various things above them. His breath came out in sporadic gasps and exhales, his skin accumulated a thin sheen of sweat. The Haddock girl wiped his face again, gasping out loud when her fingers felt his chilled skin.

Hiccup glanced at her from over his shoulder. "What?"

"He's cold."

"Is he awake?"

 _For now_. Adrianna's blood boiled, cursing her pessimistic side. "Yes."

"Faster." Hiccup urged the men.

"Annnnnie-" Erick whispered haltingly.

"Shh, don't talk." Adrianna touched the sides of his face gently. Vaguely she wondered if he could even see her. "We're almost there. You're going to be okay, I promise." _Please let him be okay._

They reached the village; thankfully Mara's home wasn't far off. She didn't realize a crowd had formed until Hiccup shouted, "BACK UP! Everybody back up!" Adrianna ignored the people, wiping Erick's face again. The stretcher jolted to one side suddenly, and Erick yelped in agony.

"Sorry!" Brandyn winced at the front. "There's a big rock in the road."

Adrianna glared at the large rock as she passed it, wishing she could disintegrate it at will. Erick trembled in the stretcher, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. "We're almost there, Erick! Hold on!"

Mara was already running toward them when they turned the corner. She sprinted up to them, shouting orders for the men to move faster. "Time is of the essence, men, let's MOVE!" She surveyed the damage as the men picked up the pace. Fishlegs ran up, taking Hiccup's place at the stretcher. Hiccup stepped back with Mara to join his daughter, surveying Erick's condition.

"Erick, can you hear me?" Mara asked.

"Mmmphhhhh…" Erick murmured, shaking his head.

"Good. Do we know what happened?"

Hiccup stopped mid-step, turning to look around. "The drill," was all he said before he was marching away.

Adrianna didn't want to leave Erick, but stopped as well. Where was he going? And that's when she saw her brother cowering before their father as he marched up to his son, both shirtless and covered in blood head to toe.

"Dad, I didn't-"

Hiccup shoved his son until his back hit the wall of a house with a loud pound. "WHAT, FINN?"

Finn had never looked more terrified, his eyes and face openly remorseful. "It was an acc-"

"NO!" Hiccup's voice echoed through the streets. "Haven't you done enough?"

Finn's face pinched as he bit his lip. "Dad, please-"

"Erick might DIE, Finn! At the very LEAST, he might never walk again!" Hiccup roared. "Have you had enough adrenaline yet? Gotten all the attention you've been searching for?"

Finn shook his head frantically. "I don't want it," he whispered. "Dad, I never meant-"

"Stop." Hiccup held up a bloodied hand, pointing in his son's face. "I don't want to hear it. Get out of my sight and don't you come _near_ that healer's."

Hiccup turned and marched away, back toward Adrianna and the healer's. Adrianna watched her brother slide to the ground, his face reddening in shame and tears. Anger boiled in her chest as Gobber walked up to the boy, but before Gobber could say a word, Finn scrambled out of the dirt and tore around the corner.

"Addie!"

The girl blinked up at her father, who was looking at her in concern. "I'll kill him."

"Addie-"

"He DID this-"

"Addie." Hiccup reinforced. "Finn is not the issue right now. Can I trust you to hold Erick's hand or do you want to wait outside?"

"Wait," Brandyn trotted up. "You're letting her go in there?"

"Is that a problem?" Hiccup bit out, patience gone.

Brandyn stepped back. "W-well… I don't think it great for her to see all that blood-"

"Wouldn't be the first time." Adrianna countered. "And I've already seen it. Yes, I'll stand with him."

"Ok-" Hiccup's eyes widened suddenly and he lunged toward the crowd, intercepting a woman trying to sprint into the healer's. Magnus screamed indignantly.

"ERICK! HICCUP, LET ME GO!"

"No, Magnus, I can't let you go inside." Hiccup hauled her toward the crowd, people stepping back to avoid her flailing arms and legs. Her fist landed on Hiccup's bare shoulder but he ignored the pain. "Magnus, I can't-"

"He's my BROTHER!" Magnus sobbed hysterically. "What happened to my brother, I CAN'T lose him too!"

Gregory pushed through the crowd, pulling her out of Hiccup's hold. When he was sure she wouldn't make a run for the door, Hiccup stepped back. Gregory's face was pinched in worry as his wife sobbed into his chest. "Hiccup?"

Hiccup felt heat rise to his face as the situation dawned on him. Erick's blood coating his body, thick and sticky against his flesh, all the eyes on him at that moment. It sent memories cascading through his mind that he wished would stay down. He felt a wave of hysteria in that moment that he tried to force down.

"Chief?" Gregory asked.

Hiccup's arms shook as he tried to find his voice. "I-it's his leg."

Gregory glanced at the building. "How bad is it?"

"It's bad."

Mara leaned out the door, not crossing the threshold. "Hiccup, get in here or I'm shutting you out!"

Hiccup nodded shakily, giving himself a few seconds to regain composure and shove all of his worry and stress and anxiety down. He had to be there for Erick, for his daughter who'd already run inside. He couldn't afford to break down now.

He looked at Magnus and Gregory one last time. "Pray. Pray hard."

With that, he turned and marched toward the healer's hut without a second look back. When he slammed the door closed, he shut out the stares, the whispers, the crowd, his duties as a chief, his son. Inside the hut, he was a father, ready to hold the hand of his ailing boy.

The building was a flurry of activity. Erick had been laid down in the closest bed, a multitude of men strapping him in so that he couldn't thrash around. Adrianna stood by his head, caressing it with her fingers. The youngest Larson's gaze never left hers.

"Someone get me my blue bag!" Mara bellowed, snapping her fingers impatiently. "I need my bag _now_!"

The bag was shoved into her hands by a very pale looking Inga Jorgenson. Both Hiccup and Snotlout's eyes widened in surprise. What was _she_ doing there?

"There are more bandages in the top cupboard." Mara pointed to the cupboard with a single finger, not even bothering to look up. "I want as many rolls as you can find."

Inga didn't hesitate. Hiccup watched her rush to the cupboard and retrieve the bandages before Snotlout stopped her.

"Inga, go. You shouldn't be-"

"Let me go!" Inga snapped, glaring daggers at her father. She turned to Mara. "What else can I do?"

As Mara gave her some more instructions, Snotlout reluctantly went back to the patient, whose cries had turned into quiet whimpers. Hiccup strapped in what was left of Erick's mangled right leg.

Adrianna stared into her best friend's eyes, stroking his damp hair and continuing to dab at his face. The stench of blood was overwhelming; twice she choked down bile from her throat. Her eyes stung with tears she refused to shed. She had to be strong for Erick, the first friend she had ever made. Her mind swirled with every time she had ever needed him and every time he had been there with a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear. He needed her now and she wasn't going to let him down.

Suddenly she felt his cold, sticky hand clasp around her wrist with surprising strength. "Annie." Erick whispered firmly, as if it was the most important word in the world.

"What?" she asked softly.

"I'm... I'm s-sorry." Erick breathed, barely audible over the din around them. "F-for everyth-thing."

"Don't." Adrianna shook her head once, giving him a gentle smile. "We were both wrong. But it doesn't matter now. You're going to be okay. We're fine."

Erick's lips stretched in a tiny smile. His eyes locked onto hers and his fingers unclenched from her wrist, instead traveling upward to stroke her cheek. For one blissful moment, they were Erick and Adrianna again, the two little children who couldn't be seen without the other, who ran through the village talking and laughing and making up stories. The perfect inseparable pair whose friendship was supposed to last forever.

But _nothing_ lasts forever.

Erick's hand dropped from her cheek. His eyes rolled upward and fluttered shut. His chest went still.

Adrianna stared at her best friend in horror for a beat before grabbing his shoulders and shaking. "No..." she whispered, refusing to believe it. Erick Larson, her best friend, could _not_ be dead. "No, no, no, no. NO!" she shook him violently but his head lolled uselessly from side to side. "DADDY!"

"MOVE!" Hiccup roughly shoved her hands aside, hopping on one foot as he extracted something from his prosthetic.

"Daddy, he's not moving!" Adrianna wailed. Tears poured down her face as she stared at Erick's still form. "He's not breathing..."

Hiccup extracted a sizable syringe from the prosthetic and took off its covering. He raised it over Erick's heart.

"DADDY, NO!" Adrianna screamed.

Hiccup stabbed Erick's heart with the needle, injecting him with the liquid within. Adrianna sobbed as she watched her friend's body jerk. There were a few tense seconds as Erick lay motionless, all eyes on him. Then, quite suddenly, he gasped. His eyes fluttered and his breathing stabilized.

Adrianna stepped forward and stroked his hair, her hands shaking so hard she could hardly control them. "Come on, Erick. P-please, wake up." she sniffled as more tears dripped onto Erick's slack face. "They s-said you're supposed to stay awake, c-come on. You can't d-die now. N-not like this. _Please_!"

"Hiccup, she should go." Mara said morosely. "I don't think she should see this."

Hiccup took one look at the sharp tools she was holding and nodded once. He grasped his daughter's shoulders. "Addie, we have to go."

"No!" Adrianna wailed.

"Addie-"

"I'm not leaving him!"

Everyone watched as Hiccup pleaded with his daughter to leave the room now that Erick was unconscious. Adrianna hysterically refused, clutching Erick's body as if she was clutching on her own lifeline. No one had ever heard the Haddock girl scream and wail as agonizingly as she did when Hiccup finally put his arms around her stomach and carried her away. The last thing they saw as he exited the house, his daughter thrashing in his arms, was his face glistening with tears of his own.

"All right." Mara said after a beat, turning back to her patient. "Let's do this."

* * *

Finn watched as Hiccup carried his sister out into the sunlight, the crowd parting to let him through. Adrianna struggled against their father's grip but she couldn't break free. The whole time, she begged and pleaded with him to let her back in the house with Erick. Finn saw the villagers look away from the pair, not wanting to get in the middle of what was very clearly a delicate situation.

Finn continued to watch them, however, as Adrianna finally went limp in Hiccup's arms and sunk to her knees, crying like she had never cried before. She was hugging her chest and rocking back and forth as her heartbroken wails reverberated in Finn's ears. He felt his chest tighten. He had _never_ heard her cry like that before. He watched his father kneel beside her and wrap her in his arms, allowing her to cry on his shoulder. As she melted into his arms, Finn saw his father's chest heaving and he eventually buried his face in Adrianna's long hair.

Finn felt his heart constrict at the sounds of his little sister's loud sobbing. There was only one reason she would be crying like that. He, Finn, had _murdered_ her best friend. There was no sugar coating it, no getting around it. Erick Larson was dead. Because of _him_.

The villagers pressed in on Mara's house, shouting pleas for updates. Magnus sobbed into her husband's chest. Lara stood close to the door with a blank expression but Finn could see her clutch her purse with white knuckles even from far away. Cliff was crying silently, his head resting on his mother's shoulder. And Finn was to blame. He was to blame for every single broken heart out there, for every tear that was shed as the village watched and waited. He felt every single limb tremble and he nearly fell into a nearby chair, remaining in the shadows to watch the scene unfold, to find out for sure if Erick really had died a horrific, agonizing death.

Just like Benen.

It was an eternity before the door to the healer's opened and Fishlegs stepped out. The villagers shouted over each other as they inquired as to whether or not Erick had survived. Fishlegs put up a hand to silence them.

"Erick's alive." he said in a loud voice that easily carried over to where Finn was hiding. "We couldn't save his foot but we are wrapping it up. Gods willing, he'll be able to walk again with a prosthetic. But now, we need you to pray that he'll wake up."

Finn exhaled heavily, putting his head in his hands. Erick was _alive_. There was still hope. He heard Fishlegs call Hiccup back into the healer's. The crowd went back to its dull roar, the sounds of crying still easily audible from this distance.

A few seconds later, he heard the sounds of someone stomping growing nearer. He looked up and felt all the blood drain from his face. Adrianna stood over him, her face streaked with tears and her eyes so bloodshot that her green irises seemed to glow. She looked almost feral, her teeth gritting and her hair flying everywhere. He stood up quickly but for once, their difference in height didn't make her any less terrifying.

"Anna, I never-"

"SHUT UP!" Adrianna raised her hand and slapped him in the face. Finn stumbled back in shock, his cheek stinging. "SHUT THE HELL UP, YOU FILTHY-"

"Adri, don't!" Astrid was running over but she was still too far away for comfort.

"YOU DID THIS!" Adrianna shrieked, slapping him again with every word. "YOU. DID. THIS." she punched his stomach, making him wheeze.

"Stop!" Astrid finally arrived, grabbing Adrianna around the waist for the second time that day.

"If Erick dies, I will NEVER forgive you! Did you hear me? NEVER!" Adrianna struggled against her mother's grasp, her hands clutching onto Finn and her fingernails cutting into his skin. "You are DEAD to me, Fearless Finn!"

"Adri, this won't help Erick." Astrid said gently as she pried her daughter from her son.

"I HATE YOU!" Adrianna screamed as she was dragged away. " _I HATE YOU_!"

Finn didn't stay to watch for one more second. His feet seemed to move of their own accord, one in front of the other and picking up the pace until he was running as fast as he could in the direction of his house. He nearly knocked the door down when he finally got there, panting and drenched in sweat. He didn't stop. He pelted into the washroom and poured water into the tub, taking time only to remove his boots before submerging himself in the cold water. The water was tinged with red but he wasn't clean enough. He would _never_ be cleaned enough.

He grabbed the soap and scrubbed his skin until it was raw. He poured the closest bottle of shampoo into his hair and lathered it several times. Finally, when the smell of blood had finally been replaced with the smell of soap, Finn emerged from the bathtub and bolted up the stairs, not caring that he was dripping wet. As soon as he had gotten into his bedroom, he stripped off all of his clothes and tossed them into the trash bin. He threw on the first clothes he saw before grabbing a bag and throwing handfuls of clothes into it. He then shut it tight and stopped in the kitchen to take some food and a fishing pole. He then ran back out the front door, shaking his head so that his wet hair would dry faster. Thornado was waiting for him outside.

"We're going away for a while." Finn said simply before jogging down the hill, thinking vaguely of taking off in a place where no one would see him flying away.

As he dodged houses and hid behind various objects, his eyes fell on Benen's old house. He stopped short, nearly skidding on the ground, and stared at it like he was in a trance. Benen's house suddenly looked so... _inviting_. As if his best friend was standing in front of it, beckoning him over with a small smile. Finn shuffled forward, his eyes locked onto Benen's small porch and the slightly ajar door. His heart thumped when he finally pushed it open and caught sight of the interior of the house for the first time since his friend had died.

The house looked no different. Little clay sculptures Finn had made himself littered the dust covered shelves. The geode he had found lay in a place of honor in the middle of the shelf over the fireplace. There were wood carvings that he and Astrid had made in prominent places. The walls were full of pictures Hiccup had painted and Adrianna had drawn, faded now but still cheerful and colorful. Benen had done his best to proudly display everything his family had made for him as a visual reminder of his second chance at life. His love for them permeated the empty house even years after he was gone.

Finn dropped his bag and fell to his knees in the middle of the room. His eyes stung with tears as he hugged his chest and put his head down, as if he was praying. He desperately wanted Benen to walk out of his bedroom or washroom to greet him, ask if he wanted some tea, talk about something he was thinking about. He wanted to hear Benen laugh openly, so thankful to be free that he didn't care if others heard. And, more than anything, so much that he felt like his heart would burst at the thought, he wanted Benen to point to him and utter the word that had begun their friendship in the first place: _Fortis_.

But Benen was gone. And no amount of wishing and pining and pleading with the gods would _ever_ bring him back. Nothing would fill that hole in Finn's heart, that gaping, bleeding crater that he had tried so hard to ignore. The truth was that it _hurt_. Every second of every day, Finn ached for his friend, for the unconditional love he had grown accustomed to receiving.

And then it hit him.

" _Finn, if you remember nothing else, remember this: I love you. I will always love you, no matter what you say and how much you hate me. Because love isn't an emotion, it's a choice, a promise. A promise I made before you were born and a promise I make again every single day."_

Before this had happened, before Finn had as good as murdered Erick, he had had that unconditional love he had craved. He'd had it since months before he was even born. But he had wasted it. He'd refused to believe it was there, that it was genuine. And now it was surely gone. Now he had crossed the line. There was no going back anymore.

With a choked swallow, Finn reached into his shirt and pulled out the last gift Benen had ever given him. The wooden necklace with the word "Fortis" scrawled into the center. He wasn't strong. He was a proud, angry, petulant little boy who had abused his way into power. That was about as weak and worthless as he could become. His eyes thick with tears, he yanked the necklace off his neck. The leather cord snapped, the sound popping in the quiet of the house. He dropped the item, his most treasured possession, on the floor and stared down at it. He didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve anything. He especially hadn't deserved Benen.

He jerked when the door opened behind him. He didn't know how long he'd knelt there, whether it was minutes or hours that he had stared blankly at the necklace on the ground. He didn't look up when he heard footsteps slowly approach him.

"Finn." his mother's voice permeated the small room. "I thought I'd find you here."

The boy looked up into the blue eyes he had inherited. Astrid stood tall, far above his head, but she didn't leer at him.

"If you're going to shout... shout." Finn said in a choked voice, shoving emotion down as best he could.

"What?" asked Astrid, sounding confused.

"Yell at me." Finn reiterated. "I was foolish. I nearly killed an innocent kid and I don't deserve _any_ forgiveness." the boy braced himself against her harsh words but they didn't come. Astrid continued to stare down at him her expression unreadable. "Why are you just standing there? Yell at me! Let me have it!"

Astrid crouched down to his level and looked directly into his eyes. "What would yelling fix?"

"I deserve it! Dad and Anna yelled at me so why aren't you?" Finn felt his voice break on the last word, his heart pounding and chest heaving with the effort to hold back his emotions.

"Finn," Astrid gently placed her hands on his shoulders. "Yelling won't fix anything. It won't solve problems. It won't save Erick. It won't bring Benen back."

Finn looked away, shoulders right under her hands. "Just leave me, why are you even trying anymore?"

"Because I love you. And no matter what you do, you're still my little boy. I won't leave you."

Tears flooded his eyes, his breath hitching in his throat. "I can't do this anymore," he whispered, voice cracking.

"Then don't." Astrid murmured, scorching closer til he felt her sit beside him. "Let it go."

Finn let out a sob and felt his mother place an arm around his shoulders. He leaned into her gentle touch, his whole body heaving with sobs he had held back for too long. He felt her stroke his hair, running her fingers through the strands as she had done when he was a tiny child with a skinned knee. It seemed impossible that his mother could forgive him so easily, not after everything he had done. He had gone against every lesson she'd ever instilled in him. But instead of being angry, she continued to love him just as she'd always done. Finn felt a rush of appreciation for her, of thankfulness to have the amazing mother that he had.

But despite that love, he'd nearly killed Erick. He could still die from blood loss or infection. Erick's life was nearly lost because of him. His insides turned to ice, wishing he could turn back time. Why hadn't he listened while he had the chance? Why couldn't he have just sat in jail like a good little crook and taken his punishment? Why did he always have to make everything worse?

That's why he had to leave. His mother might still love him, but his father and sister... They hated him. The entire village would shun him. He had no friends. Nobody cared for him. And he deserved it. He wouldn't feel sorry for himself another day. He knew he deserved every bit of animosity people held toward him. Sorry wouldn't fix things. Only ridding the village of his entire being could fix this. They could all move on without him hanging over their heads like a black cloud. Nobody wanted a future chief who was a terror at fifteen. Nobody wanted an irresponsible, selfish coward as a leader. He had to go. He had to spare his father the embarrassment and pain, and just go. It was the least he could do to just disappear.

"I'm leaving." Finn whimpered once his tears had run dry. "I have to."

Astrid stiffened slightly, her hand freezing mid stroke. "Finn-"

"No one wants me around." Finn shook his head and sniffled loudly. "You know they don't."

"Finn, baby," Astrid gently placed her hands on his head and lifted it so he was facing her, "you don't have to."

"Yes I do. I have to go, I can't... I can't keep living like this." Finn wiped his face.

Astrid bit her lip tersely. "Where will you go?"

"I don't know." Finn said through a shaky sigh. "I just have to go."

"Are you..." Astrid paused and Finn was stunned to notice that her eyes were glistening with tears. "Are you going to come back?"

Finn's brow pinched in sorrow. "I-I don't know," he managed in a wobbly voice. "I don't deserve to be chief. I've lost that right. And... and Dad hates me."

"No." Astrid brushed his tears away with her thumbs. "He doesn't hate you, Finn."

"He told me to leave-"

"He didn't mean he wanted you to leave Berk." Astrid assured him. "He was angry. You know more than anyone what anger does to people. But anger doesn't last forever."

Finn nodded. "I-I know. This is my decision. I have to do this. At least for a little while. I have to... figure things out."

Astrid nodded understandingly. "Just promise me you'll come back. Don't let me turn old and gray without seeing you again."

Finn managed a smirk. "You'd still be beautiful."

"So you say." Astrid rolled her eyes but smiled through her tears. "And don't come back in 8 years with a wife and children or I will slap you silly. I will be coordinator for your wedding so help me Thor-"

"Okay, okay..." Finn managed a weak chuckle.

"Are you sure?" Astrid asked once again.

"Yes."

"You have warm clothes? Food?" Astrid eyed his dragon through the window.

"I've got everything I need." Finn said as she met his gaze once again. "I'll be fine, mom." he swallowed. "If dad freaks out... don't let him follow me. I know I'm still a kid but I'm not seven anymore. I can handle myself."

Astrid nodded. "I don't know what he'll say... but I'll talk with him."

They slowly stood up and faced the door of the house. Finn felt his heart constrict at the thought of leaving his whole life behind but his words were true. He wasn't an angry little boy looking to escape his life at home. He was a young man embarking on a journey to try and figure out who he was, how he felt, and most importantly, who he needed to become.

Within seconds, he had mounted his dragon. Astrid silently tightened the straps attaching his supplies to Thornado, her hands shaking slightly as she did so.

"Before I go, I..." Finn swallowed, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat. "I love you, mom." he leaned down and kissed her cheek.

Astrid wrapped him in her arms and held him for a few seconds. "I love you too, Finn." she wiped her face and stood tall like the brave Viking that she was and that Finn so dearly wanted to be.

With that, Thornado ascended into the air. Finn watched as his mother fell away and as the island of Berk became smaller and smaller until finally it became swallowed up by the horizon.


	19. Disconnected

Late that night, Hiccup pushed the front door open to his house, dragging his feet. The wind blowing in from the coast nearly blew the door off the hinges, but he held onto it tightly. Toothless walked in sluggishly behind him and immediately curled up on his large stone bed in the corner of the living room. After closing the door behind him, Hiccup hung up his coat and looked up to see Astrid creeping down the stairs in warm pajama pants and one of his shirts. The sight should have made him smile, but he could only stand and watch with a weary expression.

"Are you okay?" Astrid asked, pulling him into a hug.

"Hmmm…" He sighed, burying his face in her shoulder as he held her to his chest. "Exhausted."

"Erick?"

"He's still out. Mara's going to keep an eye on him tonight. Hopefully… hopefully he'll wake up soon."

Astrid nodded against his chest. "I tried to wash your vest. I'm not sure if I can get it back to its former glory."

Hiccup shrugged. "It's just a vest."

The conversation was light, but the tension was high. They both avoided the topic that seemed to fill their minds. But they couldn't avoid it forever. No matter how tired he was, he had to face the problems ahead. It couldn't wait.

Finally, the chief sighed. "Where are the kids?"

Astrid stepped back, brushing her bangs out of her face. "Adri's upstairs. I don't know if she's still awake."

"And Finn?"

His wife remained silent, staring at the floor with unblinking eyes.

Hiccup frowned. "Astrid?"

Astrid straightened her shoulders, donning a firm expression. Hiccup didn't know what that meant; she was good at hiding nervous expressions, but he knew by the wringing of her hands that whatever she was about to say couldn't bode well.

"He's gone."

Hiccup blinked, sure he'd heard wrong. The words played over in his mind again and again, but he couldn't seem to understand. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and tried again. "What?"

Astrid swallowed. "Hiccup, he left on Thornado after the operation."

His world tipped upside down. Gone? A world without Finn? Hiccup backed up a few steps. "No."

Astrid stepped after him, her hands held out in a placating gesture. "Hiccup, I know this isn't what you expected but he needs this."

"Where did he go?" Hiccup demanded, suddenly very much alert. Toothless sat up from his bed. "Did he say?"

"No. Hiccup, stop," Astrid pushed the door closed when he opened it a crack. "This was his choice."

"There's a storm coming, Astrid! I wouldn't let anyone fly through that, but our son? Why would you let him go?" Hiccup asked, his eyes wide. "How could you do that?"

"He'll find somewhere to land; he's smart. Hiccup, he needs to figure things out. He _needs_ to step away and you need the-"

"The what?" Hiccup cut her off, desperation lacing his voice. "The stress of not knowing where my son is? The anxiety of knowing that anything could happen to him out there and we'd never know?"

Astrid exhaled slowly. "Hiccup. Finn is confused about a lot of things right now. He's angry at himself and he's remorseful at everything he's done. Truly, he is. But he felt it best that he take a step back for a time. He didn't want you to worry about him while Erick is in trouble."

Hiccup clapped his hands over his face, shaking his head. "I told him to leave…" He whimpered, voice laced in anguish. "I didn't want him to leave _Berk_!"

"Hiccup-" Astrid stepped forward.

"N-no, no." Hiccup walked away, pulling on his hair. Astrid followed, trying to grab his arm as he gradually sounded more frantic. "I was angry with him, no, I was _furious_ , and I told him to go away, but I didn't want him to LEAVE!"

"Hiccup!" Astrid stopped him. She tried to pry his hands from his face. "This isn't your fault. He made his choice. And I think it's good for him. He needs to decide for himself who he is and what he wants."

Hiccup sat down on the couch wearily. "Don't you remember what happened to him last time he left?"

Astrid stared at him morosely. "Of course, I do," she replied as she took a seat beside him. "But he's not a little boy anymore. He's smart, he's strong. He has Thornado."

"He's _lost_ and _alone_ , Astrid!" Hiccup whimpered, trying to withhold the emotion threatening to spill over. "He doesn't need to go gallivanting across the archipelago to prove anything because he'll just remember how alone he is! What if he never comes back! What would we do!"

"Hiccup, you have to trust that he'll come back," Astrid held his face.

"He needs to be home _now_!" Hiccup cried, tears flowing down his face now. "I couldn't handle it if we lost him, Astrid! I _cannot_ handle the thought of losing both of my boys in one day!"

Astrid pulled him into a tight hug, pushing her husband's face into her shoulder. "You won't. Both of them are going to be okay." Hiccup's shoulders shook in her arms. She kissed his cheek tenderly. The day had been a long one—he hadn't slept well the night before and today had been a never-ending flurry of stressful, hair raising activity. Her poor husband had officially reached his limit as to what he could handle. She hadn't known what his response would be as to Finn's absence, but she suspected it might be this.

She held her husband for a long while until he gradually began to relax and his tears subsided. Exhaustion crept on both of them and she finally pressed her mouth to his ear gently. "You need to sleep."

Hiccup sniffed as he sat up, wiping his face. "I don't know if I can."

"You need to. I'll make us some chamomile and we'll go to bed." Astrid kissed his forehead before she stood and walked to the kitchen.

Hiccup sighed, heading to the stairs. "I'm going to change and check on Addie."

"Okay."

The Haddock patriarch marched up the stairs and walked into the master bedroom. Pulling a change of comfortable night clothes out of his drawer, he sat at the edge of their bed and stared at the floor in the dark. Images flashed in his mind: memories of a bloody duel, a tragic accident at a barn, and now an innocent boy caught up in the aftermath of a gang his own son had started, now lying in a bed fighting fevers and blood loss and infection. And now, Finn was gone, alone in the dark and cold with only his dragon for company.

Hiccup pressed the flats of his hands into his eyes until his vision went fuzzy, trying to stem the images. He prayed fervently his son would be all right, that Thornado would take care of his boy. His little man was so lost and so confused that he'd spiraled out of control. Hiccup never thought that he might go to Erick for revenge, since he had told him about the gang and Finn's involvement. But when he found Finn at the scene and had time to think things over after the fact, he was furious for himself for not thinking to find Erick. He didn't regret searching for his daughter at all because Cliff had found him en route. But his soul ached for the youngest Larson, a boy who'd become as close as a son to him over the years.

He'd promised Olaf to protect his little boy. He never would have thought that his own son would be the one to test that.

Footsteps broke the silence and Astrid brushed past him. He heard the sound of two mugs being set down on the bedside table. The bed shifted as his wife folded her legs beside him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"He's going to be fine."

Hiccup rubbed his face and exhaled. "How can you be sure?"

"Because he's our son: he has Haddock and Hofferson blood in his veins. He's been trained for survival and fighting by me and Gobber for the last two years." Astrid replied. "And he has Thornado with him, a veteran dragon who had a chieftain of his own as a rider. I have faith that he'll come home."

Hiccup sighed, "I hope you're right. I want him to come home."

"He will."

Hiccup kissed her temple before standing and quickly changing clothes, throwing the very dirty items in their hamper. "I'll check on Addie and I'll be back."

"Okay."

Hiccup quietly walked down the hall and tapped his knuckles against her door. "Addie?" Cracking the door open, he poked his head in.

Adrianna was laid out on her bed, facing the opposite wall. Books and laundry were strewn around the room in various locations. Hiccup tiptoed forward and smiled gingerly at his daughter. Her lips were slightly parted as she slept, eyelashes gently resting against pale cheeks. Her eyes were puffy and the remains of dried tears streaked down her face. She'd changed into comfortable pajamas but hadn't taken off her shoes for some odd reason.

Hiccup smiled to himself, wondering how she could do that. Carefully he pulled off her boots and laid a blanket over her. The movements and gentle breeze caused her to stir, but she hummed in her sleep, cuddled the blanket and curled up into a ball. Hiccup breathed a short laugh and kissed her temple.

"Good night, baby."

After blowing out the candle at her bedside, Hiccup gently closed the door behind him and rejoined his wife in their bedroom. He vaguely thought to himself that he should drink the tea his wife had made, but before he knew it, he dropped face first into his pillow. He barely registered Astrid's muffled laugh as she drew the covers over him, but his consciousness was slipping. The last thing he thought was the sickening realization that his only son was out there somewhere, alone in the dark and cold with nothing but guilt as his companion.

* * *

Under normal circumstances, a late night flight through a torrential storm would've been cool. But not today. Finn usually liked to go out with a bang, but this wasn't exactly what he had in mind.

Thunder boomed overhead as torrents of rain drenched him and as his dragon while they flew. The fierce winds and jarring claps of thunder forced him to lie flat on his belly in the saddle so he wouldn't become (more) disoriented and slip off. Thornado dodged and ducked and weaved through the storm clouds, but Finn could tell his poor friend was tiring quickly.

"Thornado!" Finn yelled over the noise. "We've gotta land!"

He wasn't sure if his dragon heard, but he too seemed eager to get back to the ground. Thornado instantly dove, forcing Finn to grip the saddle reigns tighter lest he slip off. He wouldn't want to get lost at sea after an untimely demise of getting a faceful of ocean due to falling off his saddle. He didn't have high hopes for his future at the moment, but he didn't want to die either.

Lightning struck just past Thornado's right wing, and the Thunderdrum roared in fear. He tried to adjust his flight pattern accordingly to dodge, but the sudden flash of light and following sonic boom, combined with the rain which obscured their vision, the dragon couldn't handle it.

They dropped.

Finn yelped in shock, grappling the reins as his stomach jumped into his throat. Thornado roared angrily, flapping frantically to regain altitude, but they were falling fast. They emerged out of the clouds at breakneck speed, the ocean looming below. Finn was both thankful and annoyed that the rain dissipated beneath the clouds: he could see the danger coming, but it was both a pro and a con. If he was going to die, he'd rather not see it coming.

If he wasn't the son of the two best dragon riders in the entirety of the Archipelago, he might not have survived. But Finn yanked himself back into the saddle, pulled back on the reins as hard as he could and yelled, "UP, UP, UP!"

Thornado roared at the ocean defiantly, spreading his wings until _finally_ , they caught air. The duo shot across the water at breakneck speeds, water flying up around them in both directions. Finn gulped in the air, willing his blood pressure to regulate. He vaguely remembered his father and Toothless had shown them a trick like that before… back when they were a family and everything was all right.

"We gotta find land, Thornado," Finn said, looking at the storm clouds still raging overhead. Thornado huffed in agreement, his breathing rapid. Finn scratched his dragon's side patiently. "Sorry…"

He knew his friend was exhausted. They'd been flying for hours without stopping and had passed by any small islands on the way. Plus Thornado was older, Finn being his second rider. Old age in and of itself had to make him tired.

Finn's stomach rumbled. He knew his dragon had to be hungry too. Thornado sniffed the air for a few minutes before angling his body to the southwest. The teenager rested his forehead against his dragon's scaly neck and closed his eyes, breathing in the salty air.

It seemed like forever, but finally Thornado growled at him. Finn sat up tiredly and blinked at the dot on the horizon. Eventually, an island came into view, complete with a port, village, Meade Hall and arena. Finn looked down at the darkened village, noting the twinkling torch lights posted throughout the streets. He spotted sentries stationed in varying locations.

"Where are we?" Finn murmured.

The village looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place the name. He was too tired, wet, and hungry to care. Even though the rain was thinning, it left behind a sweet-smelling moisture that clung to his skin and clothes. He desperately wanted to change. Luckily his father had long ago invented a material that was waterproof, so his extra changes of clothes and sleeping bag were dry. He couldn't say the same for his weapons. He hoped his bow and quiver of arrows weren't ruined from the harsh elements, but he supposed this was part of survival.

They soared over the village, avoiding guards and watchtowers, choosing to stay in the shadows. Finn directed his dragon to the woods about a mile away from the village. They touched down in an open field that seemed to be deserted aside from a few coyotes that scampered off into the dark. Finn made a note that where there were coyotes, there had to be rabbits, foxes, deer and other delectable delights. At the moment he was simply too tired to hunt, but if he decided to stay here (wherever _here_ was), at least he'd have plenty of food options. For now, he'd just eat whatever he'd grabbed from the house.

"Ughhh…" Finn moaned once he slid off his dragon. His limbs felt like noodles after riding for so long. He honestly didn't know how his father had done nothing all as a teenager but ride all day, every day. It was taxing! "All right, let's take this off."

It took about ten minutes to undo the various leather straps and harnesses, but finally Finn got the saddle off Thornado's back. The dragon promptly flipped onto his back and began scratching his scales into the dirt and grass.

"Sorry, man. Wet leather makes you itchy." Finn sighed. "We should have touched down sooner."

Thornado's itching stilled and his flat look said, _And where exactly would we have touched down, stupidhead?_

"Touché, smarty-pants," Finn quipped. Rummaging through his pack, he located a bag of dried meat and put a piece in his mouth. "Mmm… should've brought the honeyed ham. Mkay, let's see what we've got…"

It took him close to a half hour, but despite his exhaustion, Finn was able to set up a camp of sorts. He still wondered in the back of his mind what island they'd invaded, but he figured if they'd been flying for around 9 hours, they were still in the Archipelago enough to know they hadn't trespassed into enemy territory. Probably.

A makeshift tent under a tree with his sleeping bag, a circlet of stones for a fire, which burned gloriously with some hot water in a tin can, a piece of bread with melted cheese and more dried meat, and a large broken stick on which his wet clothes hung. Finally the rain had stopped; he hoped by morning they'd be dry so he could continue his journey to… wherever he was going.

And it was with that glum thought that he sat on the ground, poking a stick into his fire with his dragon snoozing nearby, that Fearless Finn realized how great his life had been. How much he'd taken for granted: a home cooked meal; a mother who cooked for and cleaned up after him every day, even washed his clothes; his sister's annoying chatter was at least something to occupy the silence when he didn't feel like talking; his dad's wise council, even when unwarranted, with his firm gaze and steady hand, always there when he was needed.

He really was a terrible son. He hadn't realized just how much he counted on his dad for things. He'd taken everything good in his life for granted, but his dad… he'd allowed so many things to fill up his head. It was like continually dumping leftovers into a trash bin but never taking out the trash. Eventually the trash bin starts to smell rank with a rotten interior. The outside of the trash can could be decorated with all the pomp and circumstance a man could muster, but if the interior was filthy, what did it matter?

 _So_ , he thought miserably. _I've reduced myself to that of trash. Never thought it would come to this._

His heart twisted in his chest painfully when he thought of the terrible things he'd done—nearly impoverished dozens of family's by ruining their homes or workplaces, lied, stole, cheated, broke hearts. And now, he could very well be a murderer. Erick hadn't been pushed directly into the machine: Finn knew this. But he didn't dare even entertain the thought of excusing his behaviors. If it weren't for him, Erick would still have two feet. He wouldn't be crippled for life. He wouldn't be potentially lying on his death bed.

Finn dropped the stick and buried his face in his knees. He missed Berk. He missed his home, his room, which tended to be his only place of solace where he could let his emotions run dry. He hated those nights. He missed his mom. Deep down, he missed his dad too. He wished there was something he could do to gain his forgiveness.

 _I don't want to hear it_ , his father had said, his voice shaking in anger. _Get out of my sight._

His father was officially done. There'd been no love in his eyes in that moment. He'd officially broken all ties of reconciliation because of what he did to Erick. He didn't even have the heart to be jealous anymore. A brief part of him wondered if their roles were reversed, would Hiccup speak so harshly to Erick if Finn had been hurt?

For so long, Finn thought the strength of a man was defined by his status—how he looked to his peers, how he led them, or how perfect his skills were. Finn had the status. He was the future chief after all, and sweet Thor, that was an _amazing_ thing. He'd always felt that sense of pride that one day he'd be chief. That was his destiny: to lead the people of Berk.

His father had been trying to tell him for a long time now that life isn't about being the best or coolest or strongest. If you fight your way to the top but have no family, no friends, what is that? If you're wealthy and powerful but alone, what kind of sad reality would that be to live? A man is wealthiest when he's kind and giving; if a man has nothing, but treats others with the utmost care and compassion, even those who hurt him, he is greater than any wealthy man in the world.

That was Benen.

Never had he heard Benen raise his voice, unless it was joyful laughter. Not once had he raised a hand against another human unless it was self defense. But all the same, it was done with respect for the other person. Benen had loved people, despite his scars—both physical and emotional. He poured his heart and soul into people. He'd been dirt poor, scarred from head to toe with the worst of what life had to offer, alone and weak. But with a single word, he'd shown Finn more love and care than any other person had shown.

That was what made him special.

Tears burned his eyes. Exhaustion finally began to creep in as all the images and thoughts of the day flew through his mind. Sounds of screaming, yelling, and images of bloody wounds bombarded his mind, coupled with his lack of sleep the night before in the jail—he couldn't hold back the wave of emotion billowing out of his system.

Finn tried to stifle the sobs to no avail. He buried his face farther into his knees as everything that had happened washed over him once again. He'd nearly killed Erick. If it hadn't happened already, he could die at any moment. He'd run away from home for the second time in his life and he was positive that his father would never allow him to come back. There was nothing he could do to change the past. He'd live with this reality for the rest of his life that he, Fearless Finn Haddock, was very much afraid and he could do nothing to mend his mistakes. This time, he truly was alone. And he'd brought it upon himself.

* * *

Apparently Hiccup's body could only handle so much strain. Once asleep, he had remained as such until nearly noon the next morning. Even then, he nearly dragged himself out of his bed and dressed himself. By the time he was descending the stairs, he felt his head clearing on its own. Evidently a full night's sleep had done him good.

Astrid was out of the house. This was no surprise; she had Academy duties to attend to most days. That was where she worked full time once the twins were old enough to take care of themselves. Hiccup hated that life had to go on in this way. A part of him direly wanted to pack up and search for Finn himself but he pushed down such thoughts. A chief's duty, as Stoick was fond of saying, is to his people. No one would fault Hiccup for sleeping in but they certainly might have something to say if he locked himself in the house and refused visitors or flew gods knew how far away to retrieve his errant son. Both those reactions briefly tempted him but he pushed them down.

Toothless had apparently left the house. No surprises there. Hiccup hadn't been expecting him to hang around and wait for his exhausted human to wake up. The Hooligan chief decided, as he walked into town, to get some lunch at the Great Hall. Surely his friends would be there. He needed the support.

The first thing Hiccup saw when he pushed open the doors of the Great Hall was Brandyn. The normally cheerful teenager was stabbing his potatoes with vigor, a scowl on his face. Several teenagers surrounded him, including a few who had been caught with the gang, but he didn't seem to hear a thing anyone said.

"Something on your mind?" Hiccup asked him, sitting next to Dana, who made a face and scooted over to give him room.

"You could say that." Brandyn muttered darkly.

"He's upset because he had an argument with Anna this morning." Dana filled Hiccup in, looking thoroughly irritated that at his interruption.

"Did you?" Hiccup asked with interest.

"Well it's weird, isn't it?" Brandyn blurted out. "She went straight to Erick's first thing, didn't even stop to get breakfast! And when I told her to take a break, she yelled at me!"

"Erick was her best friend for years, Brandyn." Hiccup gently countered. "It's natural that she'd want to make sure he's okay. That doesn't really have anything to do with you."

"But I'm not even allowed back there!" Brandyn griped. "Family and close friends only. Mara won't let me in. She told me that unless I'm injured myself, I'm not even allowed in the house."

"No extra contaminants." Hiccup nodded. "Don't take it personally."

"I'll take it as personally as I want when my own girlfriend is more interested in spending time with another guy." Brandyn said defensively. "Not to sound possessive but it's weird."

"I see where you're coming from." Hiccup patiently. "But you really shouldn't take this personally. She's always thrown herself a little too much into caring for others. And with their history, of course she's going to want to do everything she can for her friend."

"Well she said she's staying there all day whether I like it or not." Brandyn stabbed a potato wedge with so much gusto, he nearly cracked the plate in half.

Hiccup looked between Brandyn and Dana, both of whom seemed to be seething. Dana kept looking up at Brandyn and glaring at him as she worked on her soup. What was up with them? It appeared that Adrianna wasn't the only person Brandyn had argued with that morning.

Before he could consider this further, he heard Morgan speak up from her seat next to Brandyn. "When is Cale going to get out of jail?"

"Um..." Hiccup shook his head to attempt to clear up his mind. "Ah, another week, I think. And then he's got a lot of hard labor to do. I don't think you two will have a lot of time for each other."

Morgan wrinkled her nose in irritation and didn't press the issue. It was Thorein who spoke up next.

"I heard Finn left yesterday." he said, pointing his fork at Hiccup. "That true?"

Hiccup felt his heart constrict but he nodded. "Needed to be alone for a bit, yeah."

"Oh." Thorein looked disappointed. "I thought that was just a stupid rumor."

"Good riddance." Evan muttered just loud enough for Hiccup to hear. The Hooligan chief chose to ignore that comment.

"Not a rumor." Hiccup confirmed. "Just a... sabbatical."

"And you're not going after him?" Brandyn asked, looking suddenly interested.

"No." Hiccup told him. "This is something he needs to do alone. Although... Brandyn, I know you do Academy stuff but did you want to make some more money? I'm pretty sure Gobber could use some help while Finn's away."

Brandyn brightened considerably. "That would be great. Perfect place to work, really, smack dab in the middle of the village. Think people will know my name after a while?"

"I have no doubt." Hiccup forced a smile. "I'm going to go talk to Addie. Anything you want me to say?"

"Yeah. I miss her." Brandyn said quite seriously. "She's been preoccupied ever since Erick moved in. I get that. But it's like... she's changed. I don't know what it is but I want her to talk to me."

"I... will attempt to articulate that without it being awkward." Hiccup smirked and got up from the table.

When he had collected some food, he made his way over to Mara's. Lily was sunbathing outside of the house, looking rather lethargic. It seemed as if she'd been there all day, perhaps hoping that her human would come out for a flight. Charger was also trotting about rather aimlessly. All of the energy he usually possessed seemed to have been drained. The poor Nadder clearly missed his boy. Hiccup stopped to pat his snout.

"He'll be okay to fly soon, buddy." he said soothingly to the dragon. "I know you're scared. I am too. But he'll be okay." Charger nuzzled his hand for a few seconds before turning away to snuggle with Lily.

Hiccup knocked on the door. To his surprise, it was Inga who opened it.

"Are you here to see Erick?" she asked in a businesslike tone.

"Uhh... yeah. I am." Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"

"Helping out." Inga replied shortly, stepping aside to let him in. "Mara said I have a clear head in a crisis and that one of her assistants quit last week because of all the strain."

"I don't blame her." Hiccup nodded. "This line of work definitely isn't for everyone."

"That's what Mara said." Inga agreed. "So now it's my job."

"And your parents are okay with this?"

"Well... my mom's okay with it. My dad..." Inga shrugged. "He doesn't really have any say in the matter; it's my decision where I want to work."

"Yeah, I didn't think he'd be too keen on his only daughter in this field. It's hard work." Hiccup washed his hands in the basin near the door. "Definitely not something I'd want to do full time."

"I think you've got enough on your plate. Well, Erick's back here." Inga gestured to a corner of the room where a large, heavy curtain had been hung. "He's been a bit feverish as of late. Mara said it's not too serious right now but Anna has been applying cool cloths since eight this morning."

Hiccup was slightly surprised. Eight was a bit early for Adrianna. He thanked Inga and walked up to the curtain. He could hear his daughter's soft voice clearly. After a moment, he realized that she was singing. It was a soothing song, an optimistic one well known to the people of Berk. But it was his daughter's voice that made Hiccup pause. He hadn't heard her sing since she was very young and he remembered that she'd been pretty good, even as a toddler. But this was different. Her voice was more mature, more steady, more skillful... and more beautiful. Hiccup had no idea she was that good. He could have stood outside the curtain and listened to her all day. Instead, he pushed it aside. The song ceased.

"Dad?" Adrianna turned to look at him and he was taken aback at how tired she looked. "What are you doing here?"

"Checking on you two." Hiccup sat down in a chair next to his daughter, his eyes fixed on Erick. "How's he doing?"

"Bit feverish. But he hasn't gotten any worse." Adrianna gently wiped the sweat off his face. "Magnus was here last night. And Gustav will be around at two. Mara said he needs constant care to make sure he's breathing."

"I'll sign up if there are any shifts available." Hiccup offered. "But I was more interested in making sure you're okay."

"I'm fine." Adrianna said dismissively. "Doesn't matter."

"Yes it does." Hiccup placed his hand on top of her free one. "You're important too."

"Not as important as him."

"Yes you are." Hiccup said so forcefully, Adrianna looked at him. He felt his lip quiver slightly. "Finn's gone. Erick's recovering. You..." he attempted to swallowing the growing lump in his throat. "You're the only one left."

The Haddock girl quickly applied a fresh, cool cloth to Erick's forehead before turning around to face her father. She grasped his hand and squeezed it.

"I'm not going anywhere." she assured him soothingly.

"I love you, Addie." Hiccup kissed her forehead. "I don't ever want you to forget that. Or think it isn't true, even for a second."

"Why so affectionate?" Adrianna asked.

"Because I don't say it enough." Hiccup brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "And you deserve to hear it every day."

Adrianna paused for a long time, apparently bothered by a thought that had popped into her head. Hiccup waited patiently.

Finally she spoke up. "Why?"

"Why... what?"

"Why do you love me so much?" she whispered in a trembling voice, apparently nervous about asking. "Why did you keep loving me after I got so mad at you?"

Hiccup smiled warmly. "Love is a choice, Addie. Loving someone means always wanting the best for them. Making sacrifices for them. Forgiving them when they make mistakes and sometimes making difficult choices for their benefit." he tapped her nose with the tip of his finger like he used to do when she was tiny. "And you're special. You're my one and only girl."

Adrianna smiled. "I love you too, daddy."

Despite his heavy heart, despite how miserable he was, despite the overwhelming difficulties that were yet to come, Hiccup felt a rush of joy to hear those words.

* * *

Finn came to with birds chirping overhead and sunlight streaming into his tent. He moaned as he rolled onto his side, wincing at the stiffness in his neck and shoulders. He gradually came back to the land of the living when he realized it had to be close to nine in the morning. He never slept this late. He rolled up his sleeping bag and climbed out of his tent. Thornado grumbled at him from nearby, clearly ready to get a move on.

"Sorry…" Finn mumbled. His dragon stared at him with beady eyes, clearly annoyed. "What? Fish got your tongue?"

Thornado growled lowly before flapping his wings impatiently.

"Well excuse me," Finn grumped. "I didn't mean to sleep this late. What's the rush anyway? We can't go back and we don't exactly have a destination in mind. Unless that's your issue."

Thornado huffed and stomped away, disappearing into the bushes. Finn watched him go guiltily, wishing he hadn't been so smart-mouthed. Thornado was the only friend he had left, the only thing tying him to Berk and his past. He couldn't let him leave. Usually he always had a plan and Thornado was happy to obey as long as they indeed _had_ a plan. No plan, no compliance. That's what he and his father had joked back in the day.

"Wait!" Finn called, stopping to yank on his boots and grab his leather jacket. Since fall was coming, the morning air had a bite to it. "Thornado, wait up! Don't leave me here alone!"

A derisive dragon chortle sounded up ahead, as if to say _Yeah, because everyone else left_ _you_.

The teenager sprinted through the trees after his dragon, leaving his camp behind. He figured they'd be able to find it from the air no problem, once he apologized to his friend. He was sad and lonely enough and nobody cared about him; he didn't want Thornado to hate him too.

Finally he caught up to the large blue beast. "Hey! Would you stop for a minute?" Finn ran in front, stopping him with an outstretched hand. He vaguely wondered if he looked like his dad when he did that, but he shook off the thought. He wasn't the Great Dragon Master like his father. He was his ridiculously immature son who nobody wanted around.

"I'm sorry," Finn began. "I'm trying, okay? I don't know where I'm going or what I'm doing."

Thornado grumbled deeply, as if to say _That's the problem, stupid boy. You never think these things through._

"Well what was I supposed to do? Be the black cloud hanging over everybody's head?"

Thornado faced north, snapping his jaws. _You should've stayed._

"Why? To stress my dad out further? What would he have done? Is there anything he can do for me anymore?"

 _Running doesn't solve problems,_ said Thornado's flat expression.

Finn huffed, running his hands through his hair. That was his problem—digging himself into a deep hole just to run away from the destruction, leaving everyone else to clean up his messes. He wouldn't go home. His dad would surely kick him right back out. His dad didn't want to hear what he had to say; he'd run out of chances. The road was his new doorstep.

"We have to keep moving, Thornado." Finn sighed tiredly, despite just waking up. Already the day was wearing him down. "I can't go back. Maybe… maybe I can get a job smithing, maybe somewhere south. Travel around a bit, learn a few things. Maybe I'll come back and try to make amends in a few years."

Thornado grunted disapprovingly and slapped his side with a wing. _Stupid boy._

Finn thought for a moment. "I'm not going back… but you can." Thornado gave him a look of disdain. "I mean it. Might scare my mom a bit if you came home without me, but you could tell them I'm fine. If you don't want to go on this grand adventure with me, I won't force you. I can't be a control freak anymore or force anyone to do something they don't want."

Thornado stepped forward and pushed his snout under Finn's hand. He growled softly, the teen's fingers vibrating under the scaly face. _I'm not going anywhere._

Finn forced a smile, but was genuinely grateful. "Thanks."

A yell echoed through the trees. Finn turned, eyebrows raised. No one was there but he sensed they'd traveled closer to the village than he'd realized. Again he wondered what island they'd traveled to.

"Should we find out where we are?" Thornado grunted in assent, and together they turned the sound.

Within a few minutes they found a small troupe of men walking in the woods with axes and shovels. They were laughing and joking around, oblivious to the onlookers nearby. A few dragons followed closely behind the group, snapping fish out of the air that were thrown over shoulders.

Finn breathed a sigh of relief. "An island friendly to dragons can't be that bad for us then." He looked passed the trees at the few houses that were visible. "Come on, then."

The village was already bustling with people, young and old. But Finn noticed quickly that this village was more of a trade route than an independent island, like Berk. Traders mingled with the common-folk like seashells on a sandy beach. While most people were natives, the people who stood out were the tradesmen, wearing clothes of vibrant colors and styles that Finn had never seen before. People called out to him from every side to sell him their goods, foods and drinks. Despite his deep sadness, Finn couldn't help but feel a twinge of wanderlust in his chest. Curiosity spiked his interest and it was all he could do to not run from booth to booth.

He gave Thornado a short glance. "This is what my dad loved as a kid, wasn't it?"

Thornado gave him a nod, puffing a fishy-smelling breath in his face.

"I can see the appeal." Finn murmured, waving a hand. But he wasn't here to shop. He just wanted to figure out where he was and make a plan.

Holding his money bag tighter on his belt in case of pickpockets, he strode down the middle of the street. He blocked out the sounds of people calling to him. He brushed past people, keeping his head down as he walked. He was only interested in finding out where he was, but he didn't want to ask anyone in such a populated area. If word got out that the heir to Berk's throne was gallivanting across the Archipelago… Well, some would probably pay a pretty penny for him. He would know—it had happened before.

Of course, the scumbags hadn't _known_ he'd been the Berkian prince. They hadn't _known_ how much trouble they were getting themselves into. And as a little runt himself, he hadn't _known_ just how many horrors he'd have to live with, even eight years later. At any rate, this island didn't look to have slave traders. But one couldn't be too careful.

If only he'd thought beforehand to cover his mop of wily red hair in a bustling village square.

"Finn?"

The teen stopped in his tracks, whipping around at the woman's voice. A tall, lithe woman with a poufy mane of red curls stood there with a confused expression, clad in leather and armor with a sword strapped to her hip. Finn stared back at her, trying to place her. But it wasn't until he saw the crest of an eagle on the pommel of her sword that he recognized the chief and her island.

"Kara," Finn sighed in relief. "Kara the Kind."

So, they'd traveled all the way to Brawn. Finn had met the chieftess multiple times, seeing as she and his father were allied chieftains in the United Archipelagan Pact. He'd only visited Brawn a few times himself, but he'd been pretty young. His father and the council had stopped their group at Brawn for a night when traveling for chieftain meetings a few years back, before the sickness broke out and everything good in his sorry life was snatched away.

Kara stepped forward in shock. "It _is_ you," she smiled. "I saw you walking by as I was talking to Joh-"

"Master Finn!" A tall bearded man emerged at her side so suddenly that Finn had to step back.

"Trader Johann! What a… pleasant surprise." Finn attempted a smile, sure it came out as a grimace instead.

"Yes, well I might say the same for you!" The man shook Finn's hand enthusiastically. "I can't say I expected to see you so soon, since I'll be headed to Berk in a few days time."

Finn gulped. "Really? That's… quaint."

Kara glanced around. "Where's your father? I wasn't aware your family would be visiting."

"Oh no," Finn shook his head as he shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at his boots. "Just me… takin' a lil' vacay. Alone. Yeah…"

Kara narrowed her eyes. "Alone? Why? Is something wrong?"

Finn bit his lip, unsure what to say. He glanced at Thornado, who was sniffing around a basket of cod nearby.

The chieftess took in the boy's clothes, his overall rumpled appearance and bedraggled expression. Dark bags circled under his eyes, which remained on the ground or darted around various things. That was a strange sight. For as long as she had known the Haddock family, Adrianna had always been the shyer one. Finn always stood up straight and looked everyone in the eye. He walked with purpose and almost an air of dignity—he knew who he was and what he wanted. He treated people with respect and honor, and for such a small boy, expected to be treated as such as well. It had been both admirable and humorous, coming from a five-year-old.

Nothing about this young man spoke Fearless Finn Haddock to her. Something was wrong.

"Finn, are you all right?" Kara stepped forward, motherly instincts kicking in. She rested a hand on his forehead, but he stepped back, almost nervously. She was surprised by his clammy skin.

"Um… I-I'm fine."

"You don't look fine. Did something happen?"

A spark of panic flashed across his face and he shakily exhaled. He knew he couldn't lie. "Yes. B-but I'm okay. Really, I have my dragon. I'm fine."

Kara looked at the strangely quiet Johann, watching the exchange with concern. "Are your parents all right? Your sister?"

"As far as I know… They were when I… left."

"Why did you leave?"

Irritation rose to the boy's face and Kara knew she was pushing it. An angry Fearless Finn was never a good thing. "I told you I'm fine, ma'am."

A smile flashed across Kara's face. "So formal. All right, I won't nag. Have you eaten today?"

"No," Finn admitted. He honestly didn't feel like eating though, which was strange. He hated going through the day without eating a good breakfast, yet the thought of eating turned his stomach. "I'll eat later."

Johann finally spoke up. "Now Master Finn, you know as well as I do that even if you've struck on your own for a time, I could not in good conscience send you off without a proper meal first. Let's head over to the tavern over yonder and we'll get some hot food in your belly."

"I-I don't know, Johann, I'm really not-"

"At least have some hot soup, Finn." Kara pressed. "The day's going to get chillier and I'd feel happier knowing you have _something_ in your system. Please?"

Finn stared at the adults with wide eyes. He could feel his walls coming down, no matter how hard he'd tried to resurrect them. At long last, he nodded. "Okay."

"Good lad." Johann gently grasped his arm and pulled him in the direction of the tavern. "Now under normal circumstances I would never take a minor into a tavern, especially you. Your father would have my hide."

"But?" Finn asked glumly. He vaguely heard the chink of Kara's armor behind them as they walked. He almost wished she'd get called away by a random visitor, but of course nobody seemed to need the chieftess at the moment.

"But this here is the _best_ tavern this side of the northern Archipelago and I bet you Odin's good eye that you've never had a proper stew than Mary's." Johann grinned, shoving the door open and calling into the building, "Mary, my dear, a table for three if you please!"

Finn ducked his head, again wishing for some kind of hat. He should have brought a hooded cape or something. He waited for someone to call out his name, but nobody seemed to pay him any attention. Johann steered him toward an empty table in the back corner where a waitress pointed.

The trio sat down, Finn ducking his face into his open palm miserably. There was nothing more embarrassing than being dragged into a packed restaurant with Trader Johann, on whom surely every eye in the building would soon be turned because he'd have a fantastical story going in the next few minutes.

"So Finn," Johann began. "Training any dragons with your father recently?"

"No."

"How's training going? Last I was on Berk, I heard you started battle strategy."

"Fine."

"Is your sister-"

Kara rested a hand on the trader's arm. "Johann, you're smothering the boy."

"Ah, apologies my lad."

Finn sighed, staring down at the grimy floorboards. The longer he was here, the sadder and more depressed he seemed to get. Laughter echoed off the walls, children giggled as their parents made flying dragons with full forks, aiming for hungry mouths. Everything around him screamed HAPPINESS, and he just wasn't feeling it. Everything in his life had turned dull, gray, and void.

"Hi Chief, Johann. Can I get you three anything?"

Finn looked up through his bangs with a bored expression, but he straightened out of his slouch when he saw the beautiful waitress standing at the table. Her dark hair was pulled back in a bun with small braids woven through; bright blue eyes glittered down at him with a soft, genuine smile. If Finn had been standing, he was sure his knees would've wobbled. She was seriously beautiful, but in a completely natural way. There was nothing regal about her; only kindness could be seen in her eyes.

"Hello Raine," Kara was saying through the haze. "I'll just have a water, thanks. Johann?"

"I'll take a cup of hot tea, dear and a bowl of your finest stew, if you please." Johann smiled.

"No problem. For you?" Raine turned her oceanic eyes on him and Finn blinked out of his stupor.

"Oh, um… water and stew's fine. Thanks." Finn smiled up at her sheepishly, unsure where this newfound shyness had come from. Sure he was pretty depressed and hated his life, but usually he was pretty smooth with girls. This one didn't looked to be much older than him, maybe seventeen or eighteen. But when it came to flirting, age never made of a difference to him.

"All right, I'll go put that order in. Hang tight, I'll be back." Raine shot him a final smile before bustling off.

Finn forced himself to look back at the table as she walked away, purposefully ignoring the two adults sitting beside him and praying to the gods above that they hadn't noticed his denial of having the hots for their waitress.

"Finn, I'm going to cut to the chase," Kara finally broke the silence after a few minutes. "Do you need somewhere to stay?"

Finn stared at her, stunned.

"Because I know that look. I won't press for details, I won't even ask what happened. But it's obvious by the look on your face that you need to be away from home for a while," Kara said. "And I cannot in good conscience allow you to sleep in a tent in the middle of the woods or on the back of your dragon. My house has plenty of extra room-"

"No, no, no, I couldn't-" Finn began.

"Yes, you can. My home was originally built to house visiting chieftains and their families because Brawn is part of the trade route. We get a lot of visitors of royal blood. Stay at my house as long as you need, you'll have your own room and a bed and hot food. You won't get sick staying in the elements because, as of right now, you don't look so good."

Finn felt his forehead. He didn't feel cold, so he wasn't feverish. "Whatever."

"Honey, look at me." Finn's eyes met Kara's. "Our families have known each other for a long time. Your father and I go way back, being children of chieftains ourselves. It's not an easy road to walk. I understand the pain and hardship at times. I know sometimes you just have to leave the house. But you're not alone here. Let me help you and when you decide what you want to do, I'll step back. I just don't want anything bad to happen to you while I know I could help."

Finn stared at her in surprise, her face open in genuine concern. He didn't have anywhere to go; he had so many issues, he hated to drag her into it. He knew from experience with his own royal family that she had to be very busy. She didn't need a troubled teen under her roof when her own kids couldn't be that old. He didn't care if he got sick or slept outside. But the pleading look on her face, he couldn't say no. Somehow it reminded him of his mother.

"Okay." he said at last

"Good." Kara relaxed just as Raine returned with a tray of drinks and two steaming bowls of stew.

"Hope it's to your liking." Raine said amiably.

Finn took a small bite and his eyebrows flew upward. "You don't happen to have the recipe, do you?"

"You cook?" asked Raine, looking slightly amused. "Wouldn't have pegged you as the cooking type."

"I dabble." Finn admitted. He felt heat rising to his face.

"Honesty. Can't fault you for that." she said with a warm smile. "Call me back if you need anything."

"Thank you ever so much." Johann nodded to her as she walked away. "Lovely girl. Reminds me of another girl years ago. Name was Mari, I think. I was in my ship just minding my own business when out she comes from the compartment below! Bedraggled little thing, said she was an orphan and running away from her horrible aunt. I sailed all over the archipelago before I found her a family right here on this island. Surely you remember."

"Oh yes. She just got engaged, I think." Kara said before turning to Finn. "So how is Cale doing? No one here has heard from him since he moved to Berk. We all miss his parents though. They were wonderful people."

"He's... adjusted." Finn shrugged. "Not much to say."

"Oh... okay." Kara turned to her food, leaving Finn to his thoughts.

Was this _really_ where he wanted to stay? How long would he live here? He tried to imagine himself with his own place here, maybe a wife and kids. The thought gave him a headache. He couldn't imagine living somewhere so... _small_.

He finished his stew and tuned out Johann's stories until someone, he didn't know who, asked Kara for some assistance. Kara bid him and Johann goodbye for the time being and instructed Johann to take the Haddock boy to her residence when they were done.

"Well, Master Finn, it seems it is up to me to transport you to your lodgings." Johann said cheerfully, placing a few coins on the table. He held up a hand when Finn got out his satchel. "Ah ah, this is on me. Penance for not keeping a better eye on you all those years ago."

Finn felt a pang. He had never blamed Johann for his misfortune but he hated it being brought up. He had run away from the trader and gotten himself in that mess.

"If you will excuse me, Master Finn, I see one of my clients at the other table. I won't take long but I must ask him a few questions before we go." Johann announced before bustling over to a large man sitting across the tavern, leaving Finn completely alone in the midst of strangers.

"Fearless Finn Haddock."

Finn jumped and spun around to face Raine, who was eyeing him almost suspiciously.

"Umm..."

"That's your name, isn't it?" Raine brushed her hands off on her apron before extending one for him to shake. "Everyone knows the Hooligan heir is a big guy with freckles and lots of red hair."

"That's me." Finn grumbled. "Though I go by Finn, no need to tag on the fearless label."

"Wasn't planning on it." Raine rested her hands on her hips. "So what brings you here?"

"It's a long story." Finn said dismissively.

"Lucky for you, my shift is over and I've got good ears." Raine gestured to the table. "You look depressed. I want to help, if I can."

"Why are you being so nice?" Finn asked suspiciously.

"I feel like you need someone to talk to, even if it's just a stranger. I mean, who am I going to tell? I'm about as impartial as you can get." Raine sat down across the table from him and clasped her fingers in front of her pretty face.

Ordinarily, Finn would have brushed her off, no matter how attractive she might be. He certainly wasn't the type to pour his heart out to a stranger. But this girl had a kind face. She truly seemed to care. Finn slowly sat down and put his head down, staring at his hands.

"So... why are you _really_ here, Finn?" Raine asked in a soothing tone.

Finn couldn't believe he was doing this. It was crazy, talking to a perfect stranger about this, but he felt like something was pent up. He didn't know what to do next. And perhaps this Raine person could offer some advice or point out something he had missed. So, before he was truly aware of what he was doing, he opened his mouth and poured out his secrets.


	20. A Friendly Face

Finn stared down at his hands. His heart was pounding in his ears. He could see his hands clasping and unclasping in a nervous gesture he couldn't seem to control. Finally he looked up.

"Well... aren't you going to say something?" he asked in a nervous tone.

Raine was staring at him with an odd expression. It wasn't disgust, which was, Finn supposed, a good thing. Her fingers were steepled in front of her mouth as she contemplated the boy's words a little bit longer. Raine seemed to be the sort to think things through before speaking, which was certainly not something Finn did often.

"So all that happened," she said slowly, "and you're here instead of trying to make amends?"

Finn felt his chest tighten with guilt. "I figured my dad would kick me out. I wanted to save him the trouble."

"Hmm..." Raine hummed as she considered his words some more. Finally she put her hands down on the table. "What are you hoping to accomplish with this time away?"

"Um..." Finn cleared his throat to buy more time but he couldn't think of anything to say. What _was_ he going to do now? "I thought maybe I could find a new place to live. I have experience as a blacksmith."

"I'm sure you'd do fine." Raine shrugged. "But there has to be a bigger picture. You were the heir. Technically you still are. That creates a bit of a problem back home. Do they make your sister the heiress or wait for you to come back? You can't just disappear."

"This really is better for everyone." Finn insisted. "I mean did you hear what I did?"

"I heard you." Raine nodded, extending her hand in a placating gesture. "What you did was horrible and completely inexcusable. But it's not unforgivable."

"Because of me, Erick could _die_." Finn said emphatically. "He might never walk again, even if he survives. And, for that matter, I have no idea if he _is_ alive anymore. For all I know, they're sending his pyre out to sea as we speak!"

"I don't think so." Raine said after a few seconds. "If he was stable yesterday, I'd be hesitant to assume anything at this point. But that's not even what I wanted to talk about."

"Well you _know_ I'm sorry for everything." Finn put his head down again. "I can't ask for forgiveness. I've destroyed my own life."

"I don't think so." Raine said calmly. "Finn, your father _does_ love you. If you've convinced me of anything, it's that. He adores you. He wants to do what's best for you and sometimes that's tough love."

"He told me to leave."

"He was in a highly stressful and emotional situation, Finn." Raine reminded him. "Everyone reacts differently in those kinds of situations."

"Regardless, Berk is better off without me." Finn mumbled.

"No. Berk needs you." Raine smiled when Finn looked up at her. "I remember this one time Stoick came for some kind of meeting. I was about six or seven but I remember listening to him talk about you and your parents and your sister with this big grin on his face like you all were his life. I thought that I wished I had a grandparent who talked about me like that. But when he talked about you, how you had all the potential to be a great chief in a few decades, he was very serious. He said you and your dad were strong leaders and that he wasn't at all worried about Berk's future." Finn felt like crying again at the mention of his grandfather but he held his tears back. "I thought that you must be a pretty special little kid for him to think so highly of you."

"You remember that? After all these years?" Finn asked, suddenly enthralled.

"I have a great memory." Raine winked at him. "But in all seriousness, it's never too late to change, Fearless Finn. We all mess up, some more than others. But you have the potential to be great. I know you do. And I want you to make amends. I think that distance is good but while you're here... well, think about it. Let this be a breath of fresh air, you know?"

"Yeah." Finn nodded, allowing himself to smile. It felt very uncomfortable. "You're right."

"I'd love to chat more but I have a few things to get to. Visit me any time, Mr. Finn." she winked at him again before standing up and walking out of the tavern.

Finn watched her leave, his brow furrowed in deep thought. His heart was turning somersaults in his chest. He liked this girl a _lot_. She was kind, she was beautiful, she was mature... he'd never been attracted to women who weren't strong and fierce but he simply couldn't get her out of his mind. Her poise, her demeanor, her forgiving nature, it was all quite tempting to say the least. He liked thinking about her instead of his own pain. Perhaps she was the light at the end of the tunnel, the one good thing in his life when all seemed hopeless.

In that moment, Finn decided he would definitely be taking her up on her offer. He'd visit her any chance he got.

* * *

Lara Larson was not one for big emotional displays. She prided herself in her ability to remain calm in any situation and to avoid raising her voice whenever she could. She was a natural leader and she knew it. She was dedicated and hardworking. When she wanted something, she usually got it. She planned her life down to the last detail and allowed very little room for error or emergencies.

Olaf had been much the opposite. He had cried the first time he had held each of their children and often laughed and joked with them. He wasn't adverse to planning or organization but he liked to keep his options open just in case something better came up. Lara had fallen in love with his cheerful disposition and attentiveness. She liked that he, unlike most men, had no problem with letting her run the household the way she wanted. He seemed to understand that she needed to be the leader and their dynamic had been perfect.

It seemed darkly humorous that all these things she had loved about Olaf irritated her in regard to her youngest son. Maybe it was the fact that Erick was a complete surprise when she had already decided she was finished having children. Or maybe Erick and Olaf were different in ways she herself couldn't quite figure out. Her boy looked a bit like her late father-in-law, who she had never liked very much, but so did Olaf. Erick was an enigma she could never wrap her head around. And Lara didn't like sitting idly while thinking about the complexities of life and why things happened. She got things done and she did them well.

Then Olaf was gone, leaving her with an emotional wreck of a teenage boy. A part of her was furious at her husband for doing this to her. She felt his death every time she looked at her son. How was she to cope with these intense emotions and still do what needed to be done? She had done her best but Erick remained impossible to deal with as the days wore on.

She thought about all these things as she made her way to the healer's house. Holding her head high, as she always did, she pushed her way into the house and was halfway across the room before Mara ambushed her.

"I want to see my son." she said forcefully.

"You can after you wash your hands." Mara pointed to a basin by the door. "I didn't know you'd be coming."

"That's not so unusual." Lara washed her hands in the basin and wiped them on a towel. She then turned back to Mara. "Now, if I may, I would like to see my son."

Mara led her to an area blocked off by a curtain. Lara saw Gustav sitting by Erick and toweling his forehead with cool cloths.

"Mom?" Gustav's eyes widened. "I didn't think you'd come."

"Clearly." Lara sat down in a chair next to her oldest son. "How is he?"

"Stable." Gustav replied. "I'm here for another hour and then Hiccup will take over. Mara sees he needs 24 hour care."

"You can go." Lara told him. "I will take over until Taryn arrives."

"Are you sure that's a good-"

"I cared for all five of you whenever you were sick." Lara pointed to the door. "I can handle this. If there are any problems, I will notify Mara immediately."

"Um... okay." Gustav got up and handed her the cloth. "If you're sure."

"Very. Go home to your kids, Gustav." Lara told him.

Gustav left with no argument. This surprised Lara slightly; she'd been expecting more opposition.

She turned to her son, who didn't move at all the entire time she was there. His steady breathing was a fairly soothing sound. Lara tended to prefer company but for now, she liked the solitude.

The Larson matriarch stared into her youngest son's face as she toweled it. It might as well have been Olaf's face. Except for the mouth, she noticed. Her father's mouth had been shaped like that. Her mother had had dimples. Perhaps that was her only contribution to her son's face.

"Erick..." she muttered, more to herself than to her son. "What am I going to do with you?" she glanced down at the bed frame and her eyebrows raised. "I think you were born on this bed. Not this mattress, that got tossed out, but this bed frame, I remember it. I grabbed the sides while giving birth. You were a week early and the healer was at the Snoggletog party. Stupid me, I told her to go, not to stay there on my account. A few minutes later, you just slipped out before we could go get her. Ruffnut was there, I think she'd broken her ankle a few hours before, and she hobbled over to catch you. And that was that." she stared at the towel in her hand as she continued to try to cool her son down. "Olaf was delighted. He was the one who picked your name. He held you first. I..." she faltered. She'd forgotten this part of the story in the years since Erick's birth but she felt like she had to continue, she needed to tell her son what had happened. "I closed my eyes. I heard you crying but I didn't want to see you or hold you."

Lara felt a rare surge of emotion. She didn't know why she was telling him all this. He couldn't hear her. But she needed to admit it. She needed to tell him what had happened, why he had always been different for her. He deserved to know.

"Those first few months after you were born, I couldn't stand to hold you. I was irritable, emotional, anxious. I couldn't eat and I couldn't sleep. I had to force myself to nurse you. I had no energy for day-to-day tasks and I used to snap at everyone. I remember one time Magnus knocked over a vase I liked and I ranted and shouted at her until she cried. Olaf intervened, told me I was overreacting, and I continued shouting at him. I couldn't stop myself'; I was so _angry_. I was in a dark place, Erick." Lara shook her head, dipping the cloth in the cool water in the basin next to her. "It never felt like that with any of the others. I thought something was wrong with you. But your father, he didn't stop loving you. He was the first person to make you smile. He used to hold you for hours just to make sure you were getting enough human interaction." she sighed deeply. "You were a few months old before I finally started feeling like myself again. But I blamed you for that. For coming into my life so unexpectedly, even though I had been extremely careful, and for the horrible way I felt. I realize now that it wasn't your fault. I said I loved you because I had to. But maybe..." Lara pushed down another surge of emotion and continued. "Maybe I didn't. Maybe I haven't."

Lara looked over at her son's bandaged stump. Mara had managed to save half of the leg. Erick would still be able to use his knee but his foot was completely gone. Like Hiccup, Gobber, and many older Vikings, he would have to walk on a metal leg for the rest of his life. Lara wasn't too concerned about that; Hiccup acted as if he hardly noticed he even had a prosthetic leg. But still... what an adjustment.

"When this happened, I didn't even know how to react. I got the news and I was just so shocked, I couldn't think straight. But when Hiccup wouldn't let me in, when the anger had subsided, I realized something." Lara leaned in so that Erick could hear her more clearly, assuming he was capable of hearing her. "I do love you. Maybe not the way you want or need me to but I don't want to waste any more time being angry at you or shouting at you for petty things. I should have acted like I loved you years ago but I didn't." Lara couldn't push down the fresh wave of emotion. She felt tears streak down her face. "I lost Olaf and Aud. Please... I can't lose you too." she leaned down and kissed Erick's cheek. He didn't respond. "I can't change the past but I do want to have a future with you. I want you to come home, Erick."

Erick's eyelids twitched. For a split second, Lara thought he was about to open his eyes but the moment passed and her son remained unconscious. She reached up and stroked his face. His cheek was rough with the manly scruff he had been dutifully shaving off. Her little boy had grown up and she had hardly noticed. When Gustav had been that age, she had been so tired she had let him disappear for days at a time but she always asked questions about what he had been doing when he returned. She had even forcefully talked him out of pursuing his ridiculous crush on Astrid. Magnus and Aud had both been busy with activities outside the house but she supported them with whatever it was they were doing. Nikolas, well, he was the one who would come home each day with a detailed account of his activities and readily asked for her advice. But Erick... she didn't know anything about him. How had she missed her own son's life for such a long time?

The reason was simple. Olaf had taken over. Adrianna had been there for when Olaf was unavailable. Lara had it quite easy in that regard. She didn't have to put forth any effort. So she hadn't. And when both Olaf and Adrianna were gone, well, it really was no wonder her son had taken everything so hard.

And Lara had told him to get over it anyway. To suppress his emotions after losing the two most important people in his life. What kind of mother did that?

"I'm sorry." she whispered as she continued to towel his forehead. "I'm so sorry."

And, for the first time in a long time, Lara knew in her heart that she meant every word.

* * *

In the years to come, Hiccup remembered very little of what had happened in the first few days after Finn left Berk. He fell into a routine of doing his duties as chief and caring for Erick. This was all he seemed to do for the next two days. Aside from a Terror that had come a full day after Finn had left, bearing only the words " _I'm still alive_ ," he had no idea where his son was and what he was doing. This distressed him greatly. Finn remained on his mind every second of every day. Even at night, he'd fall asleep and wake up in a cold sweat, images of his little boy lying dead in a ditch somewhere flashing before his eyes. He knew his boy was resourceful and intelligent enough on his own to avoid the horrible events of his previous voyage outside of Berk. These facts did nothing except to mask Hiccup's gut wrenching fear that he would never see his son again.

Hiccup's next clear memory was a day after his talk with Adrianna. He was sitting beside Erick, keeping his body temperature down and reading a book while he did so when Inga walked into the curtained off area.

"Everything okay?" she asked in a businesslike tone.

Hiccup stifled a smile. It was quite humorous to see Inga act like a little adult. "It's pretty good, thanks."

"That's my job. But listen, my mom wants to talk to you for a bit." Inga told him.

"Are you sure you don't mean your dad?"

"Believe me, Mr. Hiccup, if I'd meant to say it was my dad, I'd have said it. My parents are two _very_ different people." Inga said with a smirk. "But is it okay?"

"Yeah. Of course." Hiccup nodded. "Why does she want to talk to me?"

"She wouldn't tell me. She just said she had something on her mind and she wanted to talk to you about it." Inga breathed a laugh at Hiccup's raised eyebrow. "I don't think you're in trouble or anything."

"That's not what I was afraid of." Hiccup allowed himself to smile as Inga walked through the curtain.

The more he saw of the Jorgenson girl, the more he liked her. She was as fierce as her father and as intelligent as her mother. She was like Helga in this way except that Helga was easily swayed by dangerous influences. Inga had a good head on her shoulders. Hiccup almost felt sorry for any boy who would try to win her heart in the future. Between Snotlout's protective nature concerning his daughter and Inga's strong will, that poor boy would have a difficult road ahead. Then again, so would any boy who dared to get serious with his Addie.

He was interrupted from his thoughts when Heather joined him. She gave him a friendly smile as she sat down next to him.

"How's he doing?" she asked, looking over at Erick.

"No change. But Mara says that stable is good right now. His body's healing at its own pace." Hiccup said, quickly changing towels. "Keeping him cool is the hard part. If he gets a fever or an infection..." he couldn't finish the sentence.

"Good." Heather nodded. "I don't really know him all that well but he seems like a good kid."

"He is." Hiccup agreed. "Needs some guidance for sure but he's an upstanding young man."

"He reminds me of you when we met." Heather said, staring at the boy's face. "Small, a bit unsure of himself, but so very sweet. He'd give you the shirt off his back. And fall right into my trap."

Hiccup chuckled. "I don't doubt it. You were a very good actress."

"Finn wouldn't have."

Hiccup looked at her. "Wouldn't have... what?"

"Been fooled by my nice girl act." Heather explained in a soft voice. "He'd have seen through me just like his mother did."

"Well... you don't know that for sure." Hiccup mumbled.

"I do know that for sure." Heather leaned forward so that she was in his peripheral vision. "He's a lot like Astrid. He'd have picked up on the little details everyone else would have overlooked."

"You forget that you were a pretty teenage girl among hormonal teenage boys." Hiccup reminded her.

"Another hen in the rooster house, as Ruffnut put it." Heather said, making Hiccup laugh again. "That's probably why Astrid didn't trust me right away. But Finn's even smarter, particularly in ways you're not."

"You think his behavior recently was _smart_?" Hiccup shook his head.

"Yes, I do." Heather agreed emphatically.

Hiccup stopped toweling Erick's forehead for a moment to stare at her. Heather put up a hand.

"Let me finish. Finn was smart, he was just unwise. His brain was fully capable of incredibly clever strategies that kept you guessing for months. You can't argue that he wasn't smart." Heather continued. "His reasoning was his problem. But his leadership skills in the beginning must have been top notch or he wouldn't have roped in so many followers."

Hiccup blinked. He honestly hadn't thought of it that way. "Well smart doesn't mean right. Plenty of horrible people are smart. It takes a lot of brains to be evil and get away with it for a long time." thoughts of Trista and Dagur entered his mind and he gritted his teeth.

"You think he's evil?" Heather asked patiently.

Hiccup looked up at her. "No. Of course not. I'm just saying-"

"You're just explaining away a form of intelligence you don't possess in large quantities." Heather interrupted. "I think you've been doing that a lot lately."

"What are you talking about?" Hiccup turned to her fully, leaving the damp towel on Erick's forehead. "I've supported him. I've told him he's got potential that he's not using and I've encouraged him every way I know how! I don't explain away what makes him special."

"No, Hiccup." Heather said firmly. "You don't see what makes him special because it makes you uncomfortable."

"Can't be as uncomfortable as the discussion we're having now." Hiccup mumbled.

Heather sighed. "Finn isn't you, Hiccup. Neither are Erick or Anna."

"I know that." Hiccup grumbled. "I never pretended that he was."

"My _point_ ," Heather said slowly, "is that while Erick and Anna are a lot _like_ you, Finn is a lot more like Stoick. And _that_ makes you uncomfortable."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"I think it does." Heather nodded. "Hiccup, you make it your platform as chief to exemplify that might doesn't make right. And you do it well. Being small and compassionate never stopped you from achieving greatness. You've instilled that in your daughter and she's better off for it. You're instilling it in Erick as well. But Finn feels differently."

"He should be taught that though!"

"Of course he should. But what you're not teaching him is that a good heart can only take you so far. Sometimes it really does take the hard work and strong muscles to get things done. Sometimes logic is more important than values. You don't always have time to consider every angle and that's okay." Heather told him patiently. "Finn excels at fast thinking and putting emotions aside to make decisions. He _likes_ being strong and using his muscles to help people."

"I know that." Hiccup shook his head. "But a good heart is more important than any of that. Without a good moral foundation, he's just going to use that brawn to hurt people."

"You're right." Heather agreed. "But that brawn is what Finn is. It's not as easy for him to stop and think of others first. And it's even harder when you overlook what he does naturally and make him focus on what isn't easy for him."

"It's good for him." Hiccup huffed. "He doesn't need coaching on how to throw axes or make swords or fly into battle. He already knows all that. But he doesn't understand strong leadership."

"This whole time we've been talking, I haven't said anything about compassion being a bad thing or something he shouldn't be learning." Heather put up her hands. "But you've spent this whole time acting as if what I'm saying is... I don't know, _offensive_."

"It's not offensive." Hiccup turned back to Erick. "It's just that I don't think it's any of your business how I raise my children."

"It probably isn't." Heather shrugged. "But I'm going to say it anyway. The way your father treated you while you were growing up wasn't right. He overlooked your positive traits and focused solely on your shortcomings. That clearly damaged you a lot."

"I loved my dad." Hiccup muttered. "And I forgave him a long time ago. I've healed."

"You have, in a way." Heather said compassionately. "You've forgiven him. You've moved past it. But those emotional scars are just that, scars. They might not hurt you anymore but you've made it your mission not to pass them onto your kids because you know how much they _can_ hurt."

"So why didn't it work?" Hiccup asked in a trembling voice. "Why did Addie come back and Finn push me farther away?"

"Because you made the same mistake as your dad." Heather told him. Hiccup turned toward her. "You focused on his shortcomings but you didn't acknowledge his strengths. It's simple really, you just didn't see his gifts as worthy of support."

"That's not true. I love him. I want what's best for him."

"What's best for him isn't what would have been best for you." Heather put a hand on his arm. "Hiccup, I know you didn't mean to but you downplayed what made him special. You made him feel inadequate, like he couldn't live up to the kid who ended the war all those years ago. He's not a naturally emotional person so of course he hid it from you. Of course he acted like everything was fine. But I think every time you implied that physical strength didn't mean anything, you hurt him a little. It was like you were saying he wasn't ever going to measure up. Eventually, he stopped trying."

Hiccup stared at her, his mouth agape. His heart constricted painfully, making it slightly difficult to breathe. He hated to say it but Heather was right. No wonder Finn had gone so completely against everything he had ever been taught. That was _exactly_ what Hiccup had done. And while Hiccup had gone out of his way to reach out to Erick, a boy very much like himself, he had made Finn feel even more unloved and ignored.

In short, Hiccup had made the same mistake as Stoick. _Exactly_ the same mistake.

He put his head in his hands. "Ohhhh gods..."

"Hiccup, it's a completely understandable mistake, especially with your history." Heather said encouragingly. "I don't think anyone blames you."

"Finn does." Hiccup said shakily. "This makes all the difference."

"And you can apologize to him when he gets home." Heather stated. "I just wanted to point that out."

"Why didn't Astrid ever tell me?" Hiccup wiped his face with the back of his hand. He might not have cried at this normally but with the lack of sleep and worry for Finn and Erick, he found himself close to tears at all times.

"I think she took it upon herself to make Finn feel comfortable with who he was." Heather explained. "Maybe she didn't make the connection that I did."

"Why do I even have kids if all I ever do is hurt them at every turn?" Hiccup sniffed and wiped the last tears off his face. "I just want them to be happy and feel accepted."

"It's not too late for that." Heather smiled. "When Dustin and Vidar were about six, Snotlout took Dustin on a hunting trip. They hit a doe and Dustin was very upset. He argued with Snotlout the whole way back about how horrible he was and Snotlout argued that hunting kept him fed so he had no right to complain. Dustin refused to eat meat for days and Snotlout was furious at him for disregarding how much work went into feeding the family and how he had a weak disposition. It was intense. But finally I sat them both down and I explained that they both had a point. Dustin was upset that Snotlout had killed an innocent animal but I reminded him that Snotlout had done it so quickly, the doe didn't feel any pain. I also told him that the doe didn't go to waste because we used the skin and the meat to keep us warm and healthy. I told Snotlout that Dustin's heart for animals was a good thing and that he should work with dragons if he liked them so much. I also told him that Dustin didn't have to be a big hunter like him and that was okay."

"That worked?"

"Not at first. Snotlout was upset that his son wasn't just like him. Dustin was upset with the perception that his father was a killer. Neither of them had the full story and when they thought about it, they came to an agreement. Now Snotlout takes the Vidar and Inga hunting and Dustin flying. Activities everyone enjoys." Heather finished. "Dustin wasn't wrong, he was just different. So is Finn."

"I've never liked hunting much." Hiccup mumbled. "Or body building stuff. I get my muscles from flying. What can I even do with him?"

"Encourage him." Heather replied. "And maybe you'd like hunting more if instead of being the shooter, you watched your son's instincts at work? I'm sure he's great at it."

"If he comes home."

"He'll come home." Heather assured him. "Just give him some time. It's the best medicine."

A tiny groan interrupted their thoughts. Erick shifted positions in the bed, his eyelids twitching.

"Erick?" Hiccup whispered.

The boy groaned again. He winced when he moved his damaged leg before drifting off once more. Soon his rhythmic breathing was the only movements he made.

Hiccup shakily sighed. "It's okay, Erick." he said to the teenager. "Take your time. Heather's right. It _is_ the best medicine after all." he looked back at his friend. "Thanks."

"Anytime." Heather replied, patting his shoulder as she stood up. "I'm here to talk if you or Astrid need it. Or be an impartial judge."

"When did you get so wise?"

"I'm a keen observer. I had to be to pull one over on you all when we were kids. And you, Hiccup, aren't too hard to read." Heather grinned at Hiccup's frown. "Sometimes wearing your heart on your sleeve isn't such a bad thing. But I think you could stand to learn from your wife or your son a little bit."

"Maybe I could." Hiccup nodded. "Thanks for being the voice of reason."

"Wouldn't be the first time." Heather said before walking out from behind the curtain.

* * *

The first night at Kara's had been rather awkward. He hadn't considered the fact that Kara had an incredibly inquisitive daughter. Sigrid had peppered him with questions on several until Finn was eager to leave the house. Her brother Kory was quieter but he too listened to Finn's answers with rapt attention. The teenager found himself eating breakfast at a fast pace so he could ask the blacksmith to let him help out.

When he got to the forge, Finn realized just how much he had missed his work. True, he had been away from Gobber for only a few days but all the drama made it difficult to concentrate. Getting back into the forge was a relief. The blacksmith on Brawn was a strong woman named Dagny. Her name reminded Finn of a slightly less savory one but he pushed it out of his head. Dagny was a hard worker, as was Gobber, but she wasn't nearly as funny. Finn found himself smiling less and working more.

Not that he minded. He needed to get back to the grind. Working helped him focus. Dagny liked his productivity so she mostly left him alone. By the time the workday ended, Finn was sore and ready to stop but he didn't want to go back to Kara's. Not with the ever-curious Sigrid and Kory hovering around him until they went to bed. But it wasn't as if he had anywhere else to go, certainly not on a foreign island where he knew no one.

The moment he stepped out of the forge, he plowed right into a passerby.

"Gods, I'm sorry." he said, helping her pick up what she was carrying. "Wasn't looking where I was-" his mouth dropped open. "Raine?"

"Finn?"

The two teenagers stared at each other in surprise. Finally, Raine spoke up.

"I didn't know you were working here." she said, weakly gesturing to the forge.

"I sure am. I have to do _something_ for money and Dagny's a bit short on help."

"And you lasted all day? As a newcomer?" Raine smiled. "You must be _really_ good. She's pretty picky."

"She didn't say anything to me. I guess I passed the test."

"I guess you did."

"Anyway," Finn moved his satchel farther up his arm. "Are you, uhh... are you busy?"

"Am I... oh! No. I was just going to the Meade Hall for some food." Raine said.

"I like food!" Finn piped up. He internally kicked himself. What a ridiculous thing to say! "Uhh I mean I was thinking of going there too."

"You want to come with me?" Raine asked, extending her arm playfully. "Come on, I won't bite."

"Who says I won't?" Finn quipped, taking her arm in his. "Lead the way, m'dear."

Raine laughed and the two of them began to walk to the Hall.

"So are you meeting your boyfriend here?" Finn ventured.

"Ha! No boyfriend as of right now." Raine elbowed him in the gut, making him smile. "And my sister's visiting another island for the next week with a lot of my friends. And the remaining one is working late tonight. So it'll just be us. Two lonely souls sharing a meal and commiserating."

"Sounds like a lot of laughs." Finn grinned cheekily at her. "So you have a brother?"

"Yep, a younger sister and a big brother. Just like you."

"I don't have a brother."

"You have Erick."

Finn made a face. "Erick is _not_ my brother."

"He's been living at the house and your parents love him like a son. That's what you said." Raine began climbing the steps to the Meade Hall, Finn following just behind her. "I think that upgrades him to family."

"I don't."

"Was Benen family?" Raine asked.

Finn stopped in the middle of the staircase. "Why does that matter?"

"Because if you love someone the way you love your family, they're family to you." Raine pulled him up the stairs. "I mean _technically_ I don't have a sister but my parents took her in about six years ago because of a similar situation."

"And you love her?"

"Of course. She might not be blood but my parents love her and my brother loves her." Raine held the door open for Finn, who felt awkward walking through. "She needed us and, though we didn't know it at the time, we needed her. And I think your family needs Erick too."

Finn paused as he walked into the large Hall, unsure of where to sit. "What's her name?"

"Ericka."

" _What_?"

Raine burst out laughing. "I'm kidding. It's Sophie."

"Unusual name." Finn said as he grabbed a plate. "I think my sister had this book about a Sophie when she was younger."

"The one about the giant?" Raine asked. "Yeah Sophie loves that one. Anyway, I get those feelings, Finn. When my parents first brought Sophie home, I thought I wasn't being a good enough daughter. But it wasn't about me at all."

"I'm glad your situation worked out." Finn grumbled. "At least you didn't kill her."

"I really doubt you killed Erick." Raine reminded him, scooping some mashed potatoes onto her plate. "I think he'll be okay."

"Right." Finn said as he finished adding food to his plate. "Where do you want to sit?"

"Pick a place." said Raine.

Finn chose a table by the edge of the Hall. At home, he liked to sit in the middle while Adrianna and Erick tended to prefer the edges. But this time, he didn't want to be the center of attention. He wasn't a future chief here and he had about as many friends as he deserved: zero.

Raine sat down across from him and eyed his plate of food. "I don't think you're eating enough."

"Eating makes me sick." Finn said, trying to eat the meager portions of food on his plate.

"You know, it's awkward when the girl eats more." Raine took a bite of chicken and scooped up some of her potatoes. "Come on, Finn. We Meatheads make the best mashed potatoes in the archipelago."

"I seriously doubt that."

"No really, it's a Brawnian specialty. We use the best of the best, taught to us by the ancient tribe of Hysterics. They invented the potato, you know."

Finn rolled his eyes. "That's not how it happened. They just brought it over from the west to cure Vorpentitis, everyone knows that."

"You know, Finn, sometimes you're just a touch too literal." Raine tapped his nose with the tip of her finger. "Play pretend once in a while."

"That's Anna's thing. No point in pretending things that aren't real."

"You're wrong about that." Raine said firmly. "There's no such thing as unreal, when you think about it. Even stories can bring about real meanings and real emotional impact. It takes skill to think up a good story, perseverance to write it, and openness for the readers to get something out of it."

Finn raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying I should read more?"

"I'm saying you shouldn't blow off the idea people." Raine said. "Anna and your dad are big idea people. They might be all talk and no application sometimes but that brainstorming leads to ideas that people like you, people who like to do things instead of think about things, might not have considered."

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"I'm trying to give you some perspective." Raine explained. "So you can understand each other when you go back."

" _If_ I go back." Finn mumbled. "And that's not exactly what I was asking. Why do you care so much?"

"Because you're sad and alone." Raine reached forward and brushed his bangs from in front of his eyes. "And I don't like seeing sad people."

Finn felt his inner fire ignite for the first time since he had made out with Dana. That had been stupid: Dana was most certainly a girl with loose morals. Finn knew for a fact that she considered each man she slept with to be a conquest rather than a deep relationship. He even suspected she'd been with Cale, though Morgan still didn't know about that. But Raine wasn't Dana. Raine was a nice girl who cared about him, even though she knew what he had done. She was beautiful and she was intoxicating. As they talked some more, Finn decided that he would do what he could to spend as much time with this girl as possible. Maybe he had a second chance after all.

* * *

Crickets chirped, stars twinkled, waves crashed along the crags below. The night was calm and silent except for nature's nighttime beauty. But Hiccup couldn't enjoy it.

He sat along the edge of the cliffside, elbows resting on his knees as he leaned on Toothless, who snoozed on the ground behind him. The chief watched the horizon wearily, but he didn't feel like moving. Even though he'd slept in, the day had been long and hard, leaving him drained and lacking energy early in the afternoon. But a chief's job is never finished.

Puffy clouds swept across the oceanic distance like cotton balls. Hiccup could remember the days lying in the grass with his family, listening as his young children babbled about the various shapes they could find in the clouds. Even then, they'd bicker about who saw what and why what they saw was better than the other. It had been cute and precious back then. Now, Hiccup yearned for peace and friendship in his family. He wanted everyone to be united. He wanted them to be a _team_.

But nothing he could say or do made a difference anymore. He didn't know what to do, with Finn incognito, Erick out of commission and Adrianna sitting at his bedside for as long as she was allowed. Things needed to change; children sometimes had to figure things out on their own. But he still felt responsible for all his children's miseries.

Hiccup and Toothless were alerted to the sound of wildly flapping wings behind them. Hiccup felt his dragon twist his neck to see their visitors. The chief vaguely recognized the sounds of the dragon landing just behind Toothless, but he didn't move. The loud _clomp_ of someone sliding to the ground, followed by heavy footfalls, and finally a large figure sat down beside him before he realized who it was.

Fishlegs sat there silently, hands folded across his stomach as he watched the horizon. Hiccup relaxed; maybe Fishlegs just wanted to sit here for moral support. That would be nice. His hopes were dashed to pieces when, after a few quiet minutes, Fishlegs turned toward him.

"Hiccup," His old friend began softly. "You need to go home."

Hiccup felt dull and blank as he tried to come up with a response. Finally, he gave a mild shrug. "Can't go home."

"Yes, you can. You're going to kill yourself if you don't get enough rest."

Hiccup didn't reply. Fishlegs had to understand how hard it was to go home and try to sleep, not knowing where his son was, not knowing if he was alright. Not knowing what nightmares lay ahead, both psychological and born in reality.

"He's coming back, Hiccup." Fishlegs said.

"We don't know that."

"Yes, I do. He's going to be fine."

"Oh, you know then?" Hiccup asked sardonically. "Tell me when then, before I lose my mind. And while you're at it why don't you tell me when Erick is going to wake up."

Fishlegs kept his expression impassive. "I know this week- no. This summer has been hard on you and Astrid. You've both been working your tails off, and then the gang, and now all of this. I understand that it's taxing on you, emotionally and physically. But if you don't get rest, you're going to be even worse off tomorrow. Besides…" Fishlegs paused. "Don't you think Astrid might want you home? She needs comforting too."

Hiccup winced. Ouch. He swallowed, unwilling to release the excuses threatening to pass his lips. For that reason alone, he should be jumping up and going home. He couldn't keep doing this to her, if anything. "You're right."

"Yup. So-"

"I-I can't sleep, Fish."

Fishlegs watched him warily. "Can't or won't? Do you need sleep aids from Mara?"

Hiccup chewed his lip. "Nightmares…"

"Oh." Fishlegs nodded understandingly. "What about? You don't have to share."

"Finn," Hiccup rubbed his face, swallowing hard. "Um… I'm just creating all these scenarios in my head of what could happen and I'm not there to help him."

"Hiccup-"

"And then there's Erick's accident with all the blood, which is just a trigger for all the _other_ nightmares I've ever had." Hiccup resisted the urge to shudder. He could almost feel the scars on his neck burn in pain from the jagged edge of a blade.

"You still have those?"

"They come and go." Hiccup admitted. "It might be linked to stress."

"And lack of sleep?"

"And sudden life-threatening situations."

Fishlegs shrugged. "It could be lots of things."

The men sat in silence for a few minutes while Toothless and Meatlug snoozed behind them. After nearly ten minutes, Hiccup prepared himself to take the trek home to his wife when Fishlegs finally spoke again.

"I'll say a few things: First, get sleep aid if you have to. You don't want to get sick or have an accident of your own because you collapsed from exhaustion. Okay?" Fishlegs asked in a firm tone. Hiccup nodded weakly. "Second, I want you to listen to me: Finn is a great kid. He's smart, strong, and well-trained. He's got enough experience from the worst the world has to offer so he'll have his wits about him the entire time he's gone, I'm sure of it."

Hiccup shook his head. "I'll go insane if he doesn't come home soon. Before the ice sets in and that's in less than two months."

"He won't be gone that-"

"What if he doesn't show up for a few years? How am I- how are _we_ supposed to move on from that? How do you cope with a child leaving, not knowing when or if he's coming back? What do you want me to do, Fish?" Hiccup demanded.

"I want you to breathe." Fishlegs replied calmly. Hiccup huffed, shoving a hand through his hair. "I can't imagine what that's like. I'm not going to say it's easy or that you're overreacting because you're not. You're acting like any parent would. But if Finn can't learn here, out there is the best place for him. It's a hard world out there and he'll learn one way or another just how wrong he was and he'll come running back. He _will_ , Hiccup. I can feel it."

Hiccup shook his head morosely. "I told him to leave."

"You didn't tell him to leave Berk. You love him and he'll see that soon if he hasn't already."

"I'm a lousy father and everyone knows it."

Fishlegs stiffened. "Stop that. If I were to hear that come from anyone's mouth, I'd set them straight in a heartbeat. Stop selling yourself short because your son has made _many_ mistakes, and most of them are not your fault. You raised a young man with great potential and he's chosen to squander it. That's not _your_ fault. You're the most devoted father I know-"

Hiccup couldn't help the anger that clutched his heart. "Then WHY is all of this happening? If I'm such a great parent, why do both of my kids struggle so much? Have your kids ever told you to your face that they hate you?"

"Yes," Fishlegs gave a wry smile. "They're just less dramatic and explosive about it. Usually. Your children like to make scenes out of things… they… they want your attention. But in so doing, they want everyone in the world to know that you messed up in the process. It's kind of a reverse effect. Kind of interesting psychology when you think about it."

Hiccup pinned him with a glare.

"Sorry." Fishlegs scratched his scruffy cheek nervously. "Anyway, your kids feel a lot of pressure because of their status. They've both gone through a lot emotionally and physically. They've got a lot of pent up bitterness. That doesn't mean they should take it out on you and Astrid."

"But they do," Hiccup mumbled as he rubbed his face. "And no matter what happens, I can't shift the blame. I could've done better.

"You'll give yourself an aneurysm thinking like that."

"So be it."

Fishlegs cracked a smile and pushed his shoulder. "Come on now, none of that." Hiccup stared at the horizon sullenly. Fishlegs sighed. "Hiccup, as your friend but also your councilman," He waited until Hiccup finally looked him in the eye. "Please trust me on this. He's coming back."

Hiccup forced back the burn in his eyes, turning his gaze back to the skies. He felt his Adam's apple bob in his throat with the force of the swallow he choked down.

Fishlegs breathed a short sigh and got to his feet. "Come on," Hiccup felt his friend grab his left arm and haul him to his feet. "You look terrible. Go home, chief. Be with your wife."

Hiccup nodded. "Okay. But… Fish, why…"

Fishlegs turned to him questioningly.

"Finn hurt your daughter." Hiccup said. "Why would you even want him back?"

Fishlegs looked hurt. "Hiccup, I watched that boy grow up too. I'm angry with him and fully plan to talk to him when the time is right, but I don't hate him. I want to help him in any way I can because he _needs_ it. He's our future chief as much as you were when we were kids. You're a living testament to the fact that running doesn't solve problems, it doesn't stop time. One day, he's _going_ to be chief. Our job is to make sure that when the time comes, he's ready. And so help me Thor, when that day comes, he's going to be a good man just like his father."

Hiccup's face tightened emotionally. "We don't deserve that, Fish."

Fishlegs smiled. "You're my friend. I love you like a brother, and Astrid like a sister. It's what friends do."

Hiccup breathed a laugh, trying to wave off the tears welling up. "Ah come here, big guy."

The men embraced, slapping each other on the backs. Hiccup felt his heart swell, thankful for such a good friend. Even better, he knew all his other friends from his childhood would be just as willing to tell him when he was being ridiculous. They'd always be there to pick him up out of the dirt, give him advice, help him in his greatest time of need. And he'd do the same for any of them.

Toothless warbled at them. Hiccup smiled and pushed his nose away when he released his friend. "Alright bud, let's go home."

"Get lots of rest, Hiccup. I mean it." Fishlegs pointed at the chief as he climbed in to Meatlug's saddle.

"Yes sir," Hiccup saluted with a short laugh before Toothless took off. "Thanks, Fish!"

"Anytime!"

Hiccup felt a little lighter on the flight home. He still felt loads of grief in his chest at his son's departure. He hated not knowing anything and worry still gnawed at his heart. But with his friends just a flight away, he knew he wouldn't carry this burden alone.

The house was dark and silent when they arrived. Hiccup quickly took the rigging off his dragon's back and tail, then went upstairs as quietly as he could. He could vaguely make out Astrid's form in the dark as he changed, but soon he heard her shift under the sheets.

"You're home late."

"Sorry," He whispered as he climbed into bed beside her. "Got talking to Fishlegs."

"Oh. Okay."

Hiccup buried his face into her neck, effectively pushing her onto her back in the process. Astrid gave a startled "oof", then chuckled.

"Getting cozy?" she asked, dragging her fingernails down his scalp.

"Mmmmmmmmphhhhhhhh…" Hiccup mumbled, sparks shooting down his spine. _Gods,_ she hadn't done that in a long time. He'd almost forgotten how much he loved that.

Astrid giggled, but he could hear the weariness in her voice. "Too bad it's so late."

Hiccup smiled against her skin and planted a kiss at her pulse. "Well I don't know, I'm still awake."

"You're half asleep."

"So are you."

"We could change that."

"Ha…" Hiccup smirked. Astrid dragged her fingers through his hair again, but he could feel her slowly falling back to sleep. Raising his head, he gently kissed her. "Go back to sleep, babe."

"But-"

"Astrid."

"There are two less ears in the house, we should be proactive."

"Astrid!" Hiccup guffawed. "That's horrible! I can't believe you just made light of our son's disappearance so we can-"

"Oh shut up and hold me, Haddock."

"Wait, so now you just want to cuddle?"

"You ruined the mood."

"I did not- OW! Woman!"

"Hiccup, shut up, our daughter is down the hall."

"Ugh. How do you woman anyway, it's so confus- ow. Fine, fine."

Astrid snickered, shoving him onto his back. She dragged a leg over his waist and snuggled into his chest. "Good night, babe."

Hiccup swallowed but kissed her forehead tenderly. "You're not making this easy. But good night."

Once they settled down, it didn't take long for them to fall asleep. Tomorrow was another day. But they could only hope that it would bring a brighter horizon.


	21. Consumed

Around two in the afternoon, Hiccup found himself in the square helping the fishermen load dozens and dozens of barrels onto carts. With winter coming in the next ten to twelve weeks, they only had so much time to stock up on food and other things. The morning air had been a tad chilly, making him think of his son. The vague little note made his heart rise into his throat, but at least he was alive. He hoped he'd be able to find decent shelter wherever he was. Thankfully the afternoons were decently warm though; his son wouldn't freeze to death out there. Yet.

"Aaaaaaalright," Hiccup groaned, shoving the last barrel into a car. He wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead and pointed down the street. "Let's get these to the Hall. Set them in the freeze room in an organized manner. Snotlout and I will get the counts later."

"Yes sir."

Hiccup watched the men and few teenagers begin to push the carts down the street. He sighed heavily, looking down at his loose wool shirt hanging off his (mostly) thin frame. He wondered if it was strange for the younger kids to see him wearing something so… well, normal. It wasn't often he went through the day wearing no leather or armor, aside from a few chiefly items he knew he'd need. But the day was calm with warm, clear skies. Sometimes it was okay to be comfortable.

"Hey."

Hiccup turned at the sound of his wife's voice, but his eyes widened when he saw her. She wasn't dressed any different than usual—a fitted wool top, armored skirt with dark leggings, headband and boots. She looked the same as she always did. Maybe it was the fact that she wore the headband he'd made for her twentieth birthday or that her hair was draped across her shoulder in a golden braid. Whatever it was, it seemed to steal his breath away.

"Hiccup?" Astrid waved a hand in his face.

He shook himself, pulling out of his trance. "Sorry."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Hiccup crossed his arms, darting a look down to stare at his boots but glancing across her body instead. He cleared his throat. "I'm fine."

Astrid stared at him quizzically. "Are you sure? Because you're acting…"

"Weird? Stupid?"

His wife smiled mischievously. "Funny."

"Me, funny? Ha…" Hiccup half-turned, looking away. "I don't know what you're talking about, Astrid."

"Is there something you wanted to ask me?"

"Ask you?" Hiccup shook his head. "No, definitely not."

"No?"

"No." Hiccup fought the urge to smirk as he shook his head. Her blue eyes glittered with amusement, nearly making him choke on his tongue. "N-nothing at all. Nothing here from Hiccup. Nope, he's definitely just… being stupid, as per usual."

"Oh shut up." Astrid pulled him down by the shirt and kissed him firmly.

Hiccup's eyes fluttered shut and he deepened the kiss, resting his hands on her shoulders. She gave a soft sigh, but pulled away all too soon. Hiccup nearly pouted when she stood in front of him, ignoring Tuffnut's catcall nearby. She brushed her bangs out of her eyes and sighed.

"I have to do laundry."

Hiccup frowned sympathetically. "And I have a harvest meeting in twenty minutes."

"Okay. Well, I'll see you tonight." Astrid pecked his lips a final time before walking to Stormfly, conversing with Toothless nearby.

Hiccup watched her go from the middle of the street, arms crossed. He chewed his cheek pensively, wishing he could go home and spend time with her. This was the first time in a long, _long_ time that he was really _feeling_ anything. He knew she has been patient for most of the summer, probably longer, for him to come around but things got out of hand and he'd gotten carried away. But the way she teased him last night… he'd been thinking about it most of the morning. Even after all these years, she still drove him crazy.

And now he had to get stuck in another stupid meeting and sacrifice more time that he could… no _should_ be spending with his wife. He was tired of meetings and deadlines and rowdy teenagers and stress and worry and-

Hiccup stopped in his tracks. He was the chief. He'd been working his tail off the _entire_ summer without stopping, without taking a break, without taking time for himself and his wife was the one suffering for it. _They_ were suffering for it. If he was never home and never made time for his family, things were bound to get haywire. Maybe that was another reason things have gotten so out of hand recently.

But he couldn't keep putting things off with Astrid. He had enough problems in his life. He didn't need to have marital issues on top of it. He wanted to be there for his wife; he wanted a break from the rest of the world, just for an afternoon. And he was the chief. He was allowed to make that call now and then.

Hiccup exhaled slowly, glancing around the half-full square. Nobody seemed to notice his inner musings as he stood in the middle of the street. He noticed a few councilmen who'd surely be in the Great Hall soon for the meeting. He dashed the thought of cancelling the meeting altogether. He didn't feel like explaining himself. For the first time in a long while, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third was skipping out on an important meeting. And he wasn't going to tell a soul about it.

Even though he had to hide the grin, he felt a thrilling swoop in his stomach. He marched over to Toothless, who was sniffing a bread cart nearby. "Hey bud, I need you to do me a favor." He leaned down and whispered something in his ear platelet. Toothless cooed, nodded and promptly licked his face. "Yeah, yeah," Hiccup laughed. "Get out of here."

Toothless jumped onto a nearby roof and began running toward the Great Hall. From the rooftops, any councilmen could see the Night Fury heading that direction, and they would head over. But they didn't know that their chief was in fact heading in the other direction. It would take a while for them to realize that he wasn't there. It would take them even longer to realize he wasn't coming.

* * *

Astrid hauled a wide bin of dirty clothes to the wash tub. Resting the bin on the edge, she began throwing clothes into the warm, bubbly water. The bucket was almost empty when she heard the front door close.

"Adri, is that you? Can you bring me any dirty clothes from your bedroom?"

No response came other than muffled footsteps, which stopped at the doorway. Confused, she turned expectantly to look at her daughter, but instead saw her husband, leaning against the doorway with a warm smile.

"Oh." Astrid said in surprise. She shoved her hand into the water and violently shook it back and forth to create bubbles. "What are you doing here? I thought you had a meeting."

"I do."

"Did you need something?"

Hiccup breathed a short laugh behind her. "You could say that."

Astrid quirked an eyebrow at him over her shoulder in confusion. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"I feel fine," Hiccup hummed, watching her work. "Great, actually."

"Well, if you're so great then why don't you bring me that other load of laundry over there?"

Her husband grinned. "Can do, milady." Astrid watched him grab a basket of Adrianna's clothes and bring it over to her. She wasn't sure why, but little details began to stand out about him: the way he picked up the loaded basket with ease, his lean muscles tightening underneath his distinctly leather-less outfit; how his eyes glittered when he walked over and handed her the basket, staring down at her with a look she hadn't seen in a long, long time.

She pushed the distracting thoughts aside as she took the basket. "Thank you." Astrid began throwing clothing into the water, shoving them deeper when the pile didn't sink.

Then, she felt the brush of his fingertips at the nape of her neck. Surprised, Astrid stiffened. "What are you doing?"

Hiccup stepped closer, ducking his head to brush his mouth against the shell of her ear. Astrid fought the urge to shiver. "Nothing," he murmured.

Nothing. Yeah, the warmth of his breath on her neck was nothing. Or his hands slowly wrapping around her belly to pull her against his warm chest in that thin wool shirt he wore today. Or the fact that his lips were now on her neck below her ear, warm and inviting.

Astrid squirmed, biting her lip to withhold the squeal threatening to escape. It had been so long since they'd done anything like this, she felt her resolve crumbling quite rapidly. But she steeled herself. If he wanted to play this game, she needed to play hard to get. Just to watch him crumble.

Astrid turned out of his hold, his lips leaving her neck with a pop as she did so. She gave him a teasing smile as she stepped around the tub, plunging various items of clothing into the water as she went. She stood across from him, unable to hide the smirk as he stared at her with vibrant green eyes.

Hiccup leaned his hands against the wooden edge and murmured, "Let's not be cruel."

Had his voice just dropped lower? Her toes danced in her boots at the look he was giving her, but she hid her excitement. "Cruel?" Astrid asked in a lilting voice. "Who's being cruel?"

"You," He replied, stepping toward her around the edge.

"Me? How am I being cruel?" Astrid stepped in the opposite direction.

"Oh I don't know, lots of ways," Hiccup said, still trying to catch up to her. "For one, your beauty kills me every day."

"What, like this thick mop of hair?" Astrid teased, knowing how much he loved her hair.

Hiccup continued, "You're still as strong and smart as you were back then. You haven't changed much at all. The woman I fell in love with never left."

"You haven't changed much either," Astrid quickly stepped away from his hand.

Finally, Hiccup caught her arm and pulled her to him once more. "And the fact that you're teasing me right now is driving me in insane."

Astrid gave a mocking gasp. "Teasing? Me?" She watched as his eyes turned dark with desire and her heart rate accelerated.

"You know what I mean."

"No," Astrid pulled away, edging toward the doorway, keeping up the façade. She could see him growing restless by the second. "You're crazy."

Hiccup stepped around her, blocking the doorway. "It's quite simple really."

"Oh? Do explain."

Her husband swallowed. "I don't know if I can do that."

Astrid hooded her eyes and she stepped up to him. She could see his pulse pounding at his neck. "Then show me."

Hiccup pulled her to his body as close as he could, capturing her mouth with his. Astrid sighed, dragging her damp hands into his thick hair. Her husband kissed her passionately, pushing her into the wall until her form was straight between him and the wood. He tilted her neck up with his hands and kissed her with fast movements, barely taking time to breathe. She loved it when she could bend him to her will like that; tease him to the point that all he could do was be consumed by her.

Attacking his mouth just as passionately, Astrid swung a leg past his hips and pulled herself higher. Hiccup wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her other leg around his waist, suspending her in the air. Astrid groaned against his mouth when he pushed her farther into the wall. After so long, the feeling was indescribable. She couldn't remember the last time he'd pinned her against a wall like this or kissed her so fervently. He wasn't usually so passionate. But times had been rough and it had been a long, _long_ time.

Astrid dragged her nails down his back inside his shirt, making him moan against her mouth. "Astrid…"

"Hmm?"

"W-where's Addie?"

Astrid tried to think through the fog in her brain. "B-babysitting," she panted. "S-she won't be home for a long time."

"Good." Hiccup breathed, staring deeply into her eyes.

She donned a serious expression for a moment. "Aren't you supposed to be somewhere?" Astrid asked teasingly. "Harvest meeting?"

Hiccup's eyes trailed up from her chest to her face, nearly making her squirm in his arms. "Your point?"

Astrid shook her head, staring at his mouth in anticipation. "Bedroom. Now."

Astrid gave a light squeal in surprise when Hiccup pulled her away from the wall and carried her out the door. Even after so many years of marriage, his strength always did surprise her. Astrid held onto his shoulders, teasing him further by dropping sloppy kisses along his scruffy jaw and neck. Hiccup nearly tripped on the last step but finally, he kicked the bedroom door closed and collapsed on top of her in their bed.

In moments, she yanked his shirt off and threw it onto the floor. Hiccup pulled hers over her head before ducking down to lay hot kisses across her chest. He spread his hands along her torso, soaking in her skin and making her whimper.

"H-Hiccup…"

"Mmm?"

"I love you."

Hiccup trailed his mouth up her neck and finally dragged his lips against hers. "I love you too. You're so amazing."

"So are you," Astrid gave him a wolfish smile before wrapping her leg around his thigh, pulling on his arm and flipping them in one solid movement.

"Aw but I liked being on t-mmph," Hiccup's partial whine was cut off when she silenced him with a kiss.

His hands wandered the plains of her back while she plundered his mouth. Hiccup went boneless under her except for his hands playing with the edge of her chest binding. In the back of her mind, she couldn't decide what she loved more: being pleasured or pleasuring him.

In the end, it didn't matter. Despite the hardship they'd gone through, it was just another day in their wild, crazy life. They'd learned long ago that love and trust in their spouse was the key to surviving hardships. There was a connection that went deeper than skin, a promise that surpassed words. As long as they had each other, they could move mountains, one stone at a time.

* * *

Finn stood outside the Tavern with a dull frown, waiting patiently for Raine to emerge. She'd asked him to meet her here once her work shift ended. The darkening sky looked bleak in the late evening. It was going to rain tonight; he could smell it in the air.

He still felt a knot of depression weighing him down. He felt purposeless, like a ship with a broken rudder. But the forge work during the day and talking things over with Raine as often as he could (not without a little amount of flirting as well), he felt like he could survive this. He still felt cast out and downtrodden, but at least he wasn't completely alone.

Raine. Gods, she was beautiful. He felt the same as he had when he first met her the other day. She was a natural beauty with an open heart and listening ear. She spoke wise words that he hadn't heard before and even when it hurt, she spoke the truth. He could admire all of these qualities. But the more time he spent with her, he couldn't help but feel _very_ attracted to her.

He was just telling himself to get a grip when the door swung open and Raine stepped out. "Hey!"

"Hi," Finn smiled, pushing off the wall. "Where we going?"

"Oh, I just figured we could go for a walk before it rains. It's supposed to be stormy for the next few days."

"Days? I can understand tonight but days? How can you tell?" Finn asked.

"The fishermen were talking about it all day," Raine replied, leading him through the streets. "I guess they can tell these things."

"Ah. Okay."

Silence followed as they walked through the streets. Finn kept his eyes on the ground, occasionally glancing over at Raine's leather boots. He couldn't help but admire the shape of her legs under her leggings or the way her belt cinched at her waist just right. The more time he spent with her, the more he couldn't deny his attraction for her. But he kept his hands stuck deep in his pockets, unwilling to make a fool of himself. She probably didn't even see him like that.

"Finn?"

The Haddock boy looked up. "Hm?"

Raine stared at him in the evening light, her blue eyes shining. She came to a stop in the middle of the dark alley, watching him. Finally, she quietly asked, "Do you know how long you'll be on Brawn?"

Finn winced. "I don't know. I guess however long I need to, until I come up with a plan or… figure out what I want to do."

"I want to help you."

"Help me?" Finn echoed. "How could you possibly help me with this? You've already helped me a lot with advice or just listening. You can't fix my problems, Raine."

"I just want to see you happy," Raine said. "You're a great guy, and I hate seeing that glum look on your face. I want to make it go away."

Finn lightly scoffed, looking at his boots. "It would take a lot to make it go away."

Raine slowly stepped forward in the darkness, ducking a bit to catch his eye. Finn's heart froze at how close in proximity she suddenly was. Then, without warning, she kissed him.

Her lips were soft, smooth and warm, the first kiss testing his reaction. Then she stepped even closer, pressing her mouth fully against his, tilting her head to deepen the kiss further.

Finn's head spun. Raine definitely had experience kissing but this knowledge didn't deter him. In a moment of boldness, he caught her bottom lip between his teeth. Raine gasped and pushed him into the wall behind him, shoving her hands into his hair.

She wanted him. He could feel it under his hands by the way she hummed when he pulled her into his chest. He'd kissed a few different girls now, but they were nothing like Raine. Helga had been innocent, Dana was uncensored and rough… Raine was both confident and gentle, leading and demanding. Willing.

Finn threw all propriety out the window. Twisting so he pinned her against the wall, Finn kissed her passionately. He pressed a knee up between her legs, making her squeal and claw at the back of his shirt.

"F-Finn," she gasped into his shirt when he moved to her neck. Finn didn't reply. "Finn."

He pulled away from her neck with a panting sigh. "What?"

"What do you want?'

Finn stared into her eyes, his heart rate picking up even more than he thought possible. "I think you know."

Raine smiled knowingly and gave him a sloppy kiss. "Then follow me."

"W-where are we going?" Finn asked. He hated stopping while things were getting so heated up.

"My house."

Finn gulped. "Wouldn't your family be home?"

"I live with my sister Sophie but she's on vacation. Remember?"

"Oh yeah…" Finn felt a thrilling swoop in his stomach when he realized they'd be alone. No adults, no parents, no sisters to drop in and stop them. If he knew where her house was, he was positive he'd be dragging her across the town to get there.

Luckily, Raine seemed just as urgent. As they jogged through the dark streets, she kept giving him warm smiles over her shoulder that kept him moving forward. He wanted that smile to be the last thing he saw tonight.

Finally, she led them to a small house at the end of the village. As she opened the door, Finn vaguely thought there were less neighbors in the vicinity as well, so this boded well. He briefly wondered if he should be thinking of all these things, but soon after Raine yanked him inside.

The house was dark but Raine dragged him toward the back where a staircase led to the upstairs. She went up two stairs but Finn stopped. She looked down at him curiously.

"What is it?"

"Come here," Finn yanked her toward him. He wanted to carry her up the stairs. He needed to feel strong again. Raine complied, even going so far as to wrap her legs around his hips. He exhaled shakily, taking the stairs as quickly as he could. Raine opened the door and pushed it open. Finn walked in and when he saw her bed, all thoughts instantly disappeared from his head.

He dropped Raine onto her bed and clambered after her. Raine clutched at his shirt while he kissed her, fumbling at the edges of her shirt as he went. Once discarded, Finn ran his hands down the pale skin of her chest and belly. She was so much different than Helga and Dana in that they were muscular and fit, hardened by dragon riding and battle training. Raine was soft and smooth, unblemished by weapons or dragon scales. Her skin curved and glowed in the candlelight. Finn swallowed, drinking in the sight of her lying in front of him.

"Enjoying the view?" Raine asked in a sultry voice. Her eyes drank in the sight of his bare torso with a hungry glint.

 _I have to be strong._ Finn growled lowly in his throat. "Take that off."

Raine gave him a heated smile, sitting up on her elbows to comply. Finn had never seen a bare woman before but his heart pounded in his chest in anticipation. When Raine threw her breast binding onto the floor, all he could do was stare, transfixed. He couldn't seem to move or think or breathe.

"Finn," Raine whispered, drawing closer. Her lips ghosted over his seductively, then pulled away. Finn's eyes fluttered shut, but at the last second he caught the victorious look in her eye.

"You're so cruel," He muttered haggardly before pressing her down onto the bed. He captured her mouth in his, aching to feel every curve of her body pressed against his. He felt her half-clothed body beneath him, every patch of soft, supple skin against his own. He could barely think about anything but one single thought.

_I deserve this._

Raine didn't make it easier when she wrapped a leg around his waist and pulled him closer. He gasped and pulled away from her mouth, suddenly transfixed on a single point. Raine seemed to sense his thoughts and dragged her free leg up the back of his leg whilst giving him a smile.

"We're only halfway there, Haddock." She whispered into his ear. "What do you want?"

Finn lost it. The next minute was a blur of activity as all remaining clothing was shed between them. Finn felt himself losing control rapidly as he kissed her and felt her soft skin moving beneath him. He'd never felt euphoria like this before and his life had been such a living hell in the past almost three years, he could barely stand the thought of going back. All he wanted to do was to lose himself for a time, he didn't want to think about the pain and sadness anymore. He wanted to be happy, he wanted to be strong. Could he be both?

Instinctively, he wrapped an arm around Raine's waist and pulled her closer. Burying his face in her neck, he prepared himself when Raine's firm voice interrupted, "Wait. Wait." They both froze, panting for a few seconds when Finn suddenly realized something.

"Finn, are you crying?"

He was. He hadn't even realized it. But suddenly the emotion surged forward and a sob wracked his system. Raine untangled herself from his limbs and wrapped her arms around his head.

"What's wrong?"

Finn shook his head. He didn't even know anymore. Here he was, willing to give himself up to a girl he barely knew, on the very cusp of doing so, and he broke down.

"Finn?" Raine gently asked in his ear. "Listen to me, okay? I don't think we should do this."

The boy buried his face into her neck further and sniffled. "I'm such a waste."

"No! No, you're not, Finn."

"I'm so tired of being weak and alone. I don't know how much more of this I can take."

Raine was silent for a few minutes while Finn tried to reign in his emotions. Finally, she spoke: "Finn, look at me." She waited patiently for him to raise his head and make eye contact. The look of pity in her eyes mixed with the sight of her messed up hair gave him a set of confusing emotions that he didn't know what to do with. "We shouldn't do this. It wouldn't make you feel better. In fact, I think it would make you feel worse."

"Raine, I need this. I need to do something."

"Honey, sex doesn't make things better." Raine said sympathetically. "I shouldn't have brought it upon you because right now, this is the last thing you need. When your heart is hurting and you're grieving, this isn't something you want to do to try to make yourself feel better. It will only leave you emptier."

"I can't possibly get emptier than this," Finn mumbled.

"I wanted to make you happy," Raine said quietly. "If I allow us to do this, you won't feel happy."

Finn sighed, rubbing his puffy eyes. He wanted to. He wanted it _so_ badly. He could still do it too. She was still lying beneath him, skin on skin. But when he looked into her eyes, she saw genuine sympathy… and fear. He could see it there in the way her shoulders tensed slightly and her hand holding his tightly. At this point, it wasn't about what was wise for him anymore. _She_ didn't want it. Even though he could easily overpower her and get what he dearly wanted, the thought sickened him.

He hadn't noticed his own emotional state and even better, he hadn't noticed _her_ taking notice of his emotional state. He wanted it, felt like he deserved it even… but she didn't. He could see in her eyes that she was done. He wouldn't force himself on her, no matter how hard it would be to stop.

At long last, Finn sat up and sat on the edge of the bed, fumbling for his pants. He could hear Raine rustling in a drawer to probably clothe herself as well. He kept his eyes on the floor as he quickly dressed, unwilling to look at her body again. He didn't trust himself.

He began to pull on his shirt when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. "Finn… do you want to stay the night?"

Finn looked up at her, trying to ignore the lightweight shirt she wore with shorts. He shook his head. "What do you want me to do?"

"This isn't about me." Raine sat beside him and held his hand. "I won't throw you out if you don't want to go back to the chief's tonight. You can stay here."

The boy fought the emotion welling up in his throat. "I…" He wanted to stay. He didn't want to go back to another happy house to lie awake all night long.

Raine gently turned his cheek to face her. "Stay."

Finn choked back the tears but finally nodded.

"Come on," Raine nodded back toward the bed. Together they snuggled in, Finn wrapping an arm around her shoulders as she snuggled into his side. Raine blew out the candles, casting the room in darkness. Finn could still feel the warmth in the sheets from their earlier activities, but he forced those thoughts out of his mind. He didn't want to give her no choice but to throw him out if he couldn't control himself.

"Goodnight, Finn." Raine whispered.

Finn swallowed. "Night, Raine."

Nearly twenty minutes later, Raine's breathing evened out and she relaxed against his arm. Finn stared at the ceiling, wondering just what exactly he was doing anymore. He felt as if he'd lost everything he'd held dear: his family, his morals, his sanity. It would take a miracle to turn things around.

Except he wasn't turning around. He was heading farther and farther away from everything he'd ever known. Berk, his parents, his twin sister, his friends… Benen. He'd always relied on Benen's strength to make decisions. He prided himself on making decisions. But it seemed that since he'd left Berk, his very foundations had been rocked.

Fearless Finn didn't know who he was or what he wanted. He didn't know where he was going or what the next step in the plan was. For once in his life, he didn't have a plan. He didn't have an agenda. He didn't have anything to prove because he felt totally, truly worthless.

And nothing on the horizon said that he could change the course of his future.


	22. The Heiress

It was a fitful night. Sleep eluded the Haddock boy as images stemmed his vision. The smell of blood choked him, the sight of Benen and Erick howling in agony sending waves of panic through his system. His father's final words rang out through the darkness.

_I don't want to hear it. Get out of my sight._

Sharp pain emitted from his stomach and he jerked. Finn vaguely heard a female voice talking to him, something about "holding still", but the words were lost as he rolled over and slipped back into unconsciousness.

Thankfully, he slipped into less than terrifying sleep. In the dreams that followed, Finn could see Benen walking ahead of him in an endless maze of darkened hallways. Benen seemed to be holding out a hand, calling to him, beckoning his little boy to hurry. But no matter how fast Finn ran, his old friend always managed to make a sharp turn and disappear down a hall just as he extended his hand.

"You must be strong," Benen called, holding out a hand.

"I'm trying!" Finn panted, sprinting.

"Patience," Benen said, turning down a hall. "All good things come to those who wait."

For hours, Finn watched the dream unfold. Countless encouragements from Benen to "be strong" and "patient" and "kind" bombarded him, but Benen himself eluded him. Just when Finn thought he might crumple to the smoky floor and cry, he felt a shift in the ground beneath him and he jolted awake.

Finn sharply inhaled, staring around the dim room. His clammy skin felt chilled against the morning air. The blankets pooled around his waist and if not for his utter confusion, he might have pulled them up to his neck and gone back to sleep.

He caught sight of a small bureau next to the bed with jewelry, paper and a quill scattered across the top. He didn't remember seeing this before, but a quick glance at the floor below saw a heap of familiar clothing that sent his heart shooting up his throat.

Raine.

Oh gods.

Finn dropped his head into the pillow, guilt building in his stomach like water filling a jar. His heart constricted and he swallowed the bile rising in his throat. He'd almost given up his virginity last night. He'd been completely, unabashedly willing to go through with it, start to finish. If he hadn't noticed the look on Raine's face, he probably would have done it too.

How could he have been so _stupid_? How could he have allowed himself to indulge in a fantasy so primal, so selfish and lucid, that he'd give up the very thing he could never get back again?

Finn slowly exhaled. He and Raine had to talk about this. He felt something with her for sure, his feelings weren't entirely misplaced. She was smart and kind; she was a good companion to have when his world was turned to rot. But they had to talk about everything. She was right about one thing: he wasn't ready for intimacy. He simply wasn't in a right position, let alone his age.

Add that to the list of things his father would kill him for (if he found out).

"Morning." A melodic voice said from the foot of the bed.

Finn turned his head and tried for a smile. Raine looked down at him with a warm, knowing smile. "So you nearly strangled me last night."

Finn felt heat rise to his face. He shifted to an elbow, scratching his head. "Um… Did I hurt you?"

Raine blinked. "Oh. No, no, not _that_. You were thrashing in your sleep, I mean. I had to elbow you to get you off," she giggled.

"Oh." Finn vaguely remembered a sharp pain in his stomach that woke him for a split second during the night. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Raine sat down on the side of the bed beside him. "And no, you didn't hurt me. At all."

The boy swallowed with a nod. "G-good…"

They sat in awkward silence for a moment. Finn suddenly felt very exposed, lying in her bed with only pants on beneath the blankets, but of course only his bare top half was showing. She'd convinced him to stay the night before he'd pulled his shirt over his head and apparently he'd decided it wasn't worth the effort or something, because she was definitely looking at his toned bare chest right now.

 _No time like the present_ , Finn thought. "So… what's the plan?"

Raine's blue eyes met his. "Hm? Well I have to go to work in an hour."

"Oh," Finn sat up. "I didn't mean the schedule, I meant with us."

"Us?" Raine raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Finn glanced away. "Well yeah. I mean, what are we now? Are we dating now or-"

"Dating?" Raine asked in surprise. "No no, I don't date."

The boy stared at her. "You don't… date? What's that supposed to mean?"

Raine shrugged, giving him a shy smile. "I like nice men. I'm a very social creature, I like to meet new people and if I click with someone, I like to have some fun. But I don't choose just _anyone_ , mind you, they have to meet a certain 'criteria', if you catch my drift."

Finn was confused. "Criteria?"

Raine blinked. Realization seemed to dawn on her and she tensed. "Wait… Was that… was last night your first time? If we'd… done it?"

Finn flushed. "Yes…"

"Oh…" Raine whispered. "I… Shoot."

"Wait… _fun_?" Finn asked. "You… sleep with guys… for _fun_?"

Raine shrugged half-heartedly. "I told you, I'm a social-"

"What does that even mean?" Finn stood and walked away from her, suddenly defensive. "What are you? A prostitute?"

"No!" Raine stood up, eyes wide. "No, not at all. I don't get paid to do this or anything, I just…" She shrugged. "I meet people and if we make a connection and the guy is willing… sometimes I bring them home."

Finn's head spun. "You don't even like me, do you?"

"Of course, I like you," Raine said sympathetically. "I didn't do this to be a bad guy, I _do_ like you. You're a really nice guy-"

"No, you just wanted me because you think I'm attractive!" Finn cried. "You just wanted to sleep with me this whole time—that was your agenda!"

"Not _entirely_ , I really was interested in your story when we first met."

"Oh gods, what if you'd gotten pregnant?" Finn gasped in horror.

Raine frowned. "Finn."

"No, I'm the heir of a tribe, is _that_ what you wanted? For me to get you pregnant so you'd, what, try to take the throne or some-"

"Finn!" Raine shouted in annoyance. "You're being ridiculous." The look she was giving him made him stop. "I would _never_ do that. I wouldn't go through that many lengths for something so trivial, that's silly. I'm not like other women. I see a guy, we have a connection, we may or may not sleep together, we move on with our lives. I drink tea when it happens so I don't get pregnant."

"Oh gods…" Finn turned and pressed his forehead into the wall. What had he _done_?

"We didn't even have sex, Finn." Raine said behind him calmly. "You don't have anything to worry about."

"I shouldn't have even come here," Finn murmured. "Of all the stupid, reckless, _pointless_ things I could have done, it was this." Brushing past her, he grabbed his shirt and yanked it over his head.

Raine watched him pull on his boots and jacket with a morose expression. "Finn, I really _do_ like you. I just don't do commitments."

"Then what do you do? Take advantage of people?" Finn growled, tears stinging his eyes. "I'm madder at myself, but why the heck- you don't even know me! And after hearing about all the garbage in my life, what made you think that _this_ was what I needed?"

"You wanted it!" Raine said. "And I don't typically ask people how many times they've done it. I didn't know you were a virgin."

The situation rolled over him again and Finn stood, eyes burning with unshed tears. "Well I am. Or at least, I was."

"We didn't do it so technically you still are."

"For how much I was going for it, I'm basically not." Finn said bitterly. "So here's my list of accomplishments: I'm a liar, a vandal, a disobedient, proud and bitter brat who has no family, friends, life, or future, who has nothing left other than the clothes on his back, and less dignity than that of the dragon dung sitting in the nearest dragon pen outside. But heck, I still have my virginity in a rare bout of sanity, so I'm just soaring to _new heights_!"

"Finn, don't go," Raine grabbed his arm as he grabbed the door handle.

The teenager yanked his hand away and stomped down the stairs, tears streaming down his face. "Just leave me alone, Raine."

"No, I'm seriously worried about you!" Raine stood in front of him at the bottom. "Please, I won't ask for anything short of staying with me just so I can help you get you back on your feet again! You're important and you're smart, I don't want you to-"

"Stop." Finn closed his eyes and turned away. "Just go to work."

"But-"

"Please just go."

Raine stood in silence for a few moments before finally turning. He heard her gather things for work throughout the room. He didn't look at her. The guilt building in his chest was hard enough knowing she was still here. Finally, the door opened, but the girl paused at the doorstep.

"I really am sorry, Finn." Raine said in a small, pained voice. "I never meant to hurt you. I _did_ want to help." She paused. "I hope you find what you're looking for." With that, Raine stepped outside and gently shut the door.

Finn drank in the silence, but couldn't help the waves of hysteria rising in his chest. He slowly sat down on the stairs and buried his face in his hands. He could remember flirting with her that first night in the tavern long after Trader Johann and Chief Kara had left; he could still feel her lips on his and her skin moving silkily against his body.

But instead of ecstasy and raw passion, he felt dirty, impure. He'd made a horrible, _horrible_ mistake that, once again, he couldn't reverse. No matter what he did, he just couldn't seem to make the right decision. His parents were amazing people, his Poppy, his lineage. All great men and women. Even his sister had been kind and gentle with people as a little girl. Maybe he hadn't inherited that gene.

Once again, wanderlust choked him. He had to find Thornado and Sharpshot and leave. Now.

Rising from his seat and roughly wiping his face on his sleeve, Finn stormed out the door and into the street. He passed people, ignoring curious looks and calls from marketers. People beckoned to him to buy their wares, foods and beverages. He couldn't find it in himself to want anything. Everything was vanity. Everything was pointless. Life no longer had meaning for the chief of Berk's son.

At long last, he finally found his two dragons by the port. Unfortunately, they stood next to a familiar figure: Johann.

"Master Finn!" Johann greeted him jovially. "Where were you last night? The chief said you didn't stay at her home last night.

Ignoring the trader, Finn pulled a hooded jacket out of his bag on Thornado's back. He threw it on and yanked up the hood, hiding his layered mop of bright red hair from passersby.

"Finn, are you alright?"

Again, Finn ignored the man. "Do you have paper?"

Johann stared at him in concern. "Yes."

"Can I have a piece? Just one is fine."

"Finn, talk to m-"

"Please, Johann, I just need to send my parents a message." Finn faced his old family friend with wide eyes.

Johann looked stricken. "Finn, I'll give you whatever you need. But I'm concerned for your safety. I think you should go home."

Finn shook his head. "I can't go home."

"Don't you remember what happened last time you said that to me?" Johann asked quietly. "Do you know how terrified I was, knowing that I'd been the last one who knowingly saw you before you were taken away?"

Finn stared at his saddle morosely, remembering that day on Rune.

"I thought your father was going to kill me. I so dearly wanted to reverse time and do everything I could to keep you in my clutches while I had you. I didn't pay enough attention as the responsible adult and good friend to your family. The same goes for today," Johann pleaded. "I'm going to Berk next but it will take me at least a day or two to get there. Come with me. We can sort things out. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you after this and I had to face your father again. Not again, Finn. I can't do that to him again."

Finn stood in sullen silence for a minute. "I just need paper, Johann. Please."

Johann's shoulders slumped. "Please? I just want to help you, Finn."

The teenager's eyes welled with tears and he was sure they were red and puffy by this point. "You _can't_ help me, Johann. I'm a lost cause. I'm sending my parents a message and then I have some unfinished business to attend to. Now do I need to find paper elsewhere?"

Johann sighed. "No. Wait here."

Finn leaned against Thornado's side wearily as he waited, pressing his palms against the sides of his head. Sharpshot cooed at him in concern. Holding back all this emotion was only building pressure inside his head, concocting a raging headache. He gritted his teeth and pulled his hair between his fingers, willing himself to hold on just a few more minutes. Any random passersby probably thought he was about to have a mental breakdown. He probably was.

Johann finally reemerged from his ship with a few papers. "Here, lad."

"Thanks, Johann." Finn stuffed them inside his satchel and slid onto Thornado's back. The dragon stretched his wings in anticipation with a low growl.

"Where will you go, Finn?" Johann asked sadly.

"Far away from here."

"Will I see you again?"

The question startled Finn. He looked down at the old man with wide eyes, and in those pools of blue he only found compassion. Finn gulped and looked away. "Just tell my parents not to worry."

"Take care of yourself, Fearless Finn."

Pulling on the reins, Finn urged Thornado into the air with Sharpshot hot on their heels. Within seconds, Johann disappeared into the distance and Brawn gradually began to shrink. The teenager steered his dragon north, to the only place he could think of to go. Not for sanctuary, but to face off with his old enemy. Raine had said something about going to the root of the problem. He knew exactly _who_ the root of his problems was. And he knew exactly where to find him.

However, that trip would take hours. He'd have to stop now and then to let Thornado eat. He wondered if he'd ever eat again. The thought of food made his stomach turn and he curled in on himself. He thought over last night's events and he couldn't help the pang of guilt.

Never before had Finn felt so dirty. He'd already felt like a terrible person, with what happened to Erick and the gang and his father. But this… making out with girls seemed to be one thing. He'd felt some inner drive when Dana was lying on top of him: she was dangerous fuel for the fire inside him that didn't want to be extinguished. He'd felt guilt when Adrianna eventually got Dana to leave. Dana, of all people? Everyone knew just how trashy she was.

But he'd been blinded by just how deceptively sweet a girl could be. Raine honestly didn't seem to be a bad person. She was kind and pretty in a natural way, and she could kiss like nobody's business. But he had no business being there. She shouldn't have come onto him, but he should've had the sense to make a better decision than this. He knew better. If he'd used two brain cells, he might have seen this coming beforehand: tavern worker, blatant flirting, low neckline but not too revealing, coy glances as she served the men. She might not get paid for having sex with random men, but Finn certainly felt like he'd been cheated and abused. He never thought he'd come so close to giving up his virginity to a random woman from a tavern in Brawn!

He'd made his decision at the heart of it. He knew what was right and wrong. He should never have put himself in any position such as that, but he'd been testing those boundaries with Helga long ago. But there were big differences between Helga, Dana and Raine. No, he didn't deserve anyone or anything; if he couldn't respect himself then he didn't deserve another person. He just kept digging the hole bigger.

And that's why he was writing a note to his parents. He couldn't do this to them anymore. There would be no false hopes or endless pain for them. No constant wondering. He was done. For once in a long time, he was doing something right.

He hoped.

* * *

Hiccup had to admit: things could always, _always_ get worse.

His father used to say that "when the going gets tough, the tough get going". Something about his lifelong motto, even though the famous Stoick the Vast almost never spoke the phrase, that's what Hiccup thought at the end of the day.

At first, the day had been sweet, filling it with Astrid and only Astrid. When he awoke to sunlight streaming through the windows and his wife already awake, smiling at him through a sleepy haze, he couldn't help but feel his heart leap a bit. He didn't even feel bad that he'd skipped his meeting the day before and literally hadn't left the house since. Their daughter had come home sometime in the evening to find them sitting on the couch in cozy sweatpants and nursing mugs of tea, to which she gave them a confused look.

"Long day," was the excuse he'd given. But he hoped the happy glow in his wife's cheeks didn't give anything away to their 15-year-old daughter. Adrianna didn't seem to make any connections. She'd merely given them a half-hearted shrug and marched upstairs to read.

After a leisurely breakfast the next morning with Adrianna and Brandyn, the chief and his wife strolled toward the village hand in hand. Their dragons bounded through the trees as the bridge came into view.

"We should visit the Thorston's." Astrid remarked presently.

Hiccup glanced at her in confusion. "Why?"

"Because baby therapy," Astrid smiled when Hiccup laughed. "One more thing to loosen you up."

Hiccup gave her a look. "After yesterday, I'm loose."

"Not loose enough. I can still see it in your eyes."

Hiccup nodded. They'd spent many hours talking the night before, both serious issues (especially regarding their son) and goofing off. He felt a lot lighter, his stress levels having waned a bit. But he couldn't rid himself of it completely. Not until his little boy came home.

The chief lifted his wife's arm and kissed the back of her hand. "If you insist, m'lady."

Astrid grinned and pulled him across the bridge faster. He nearly tripped over a loose board and glanced over his shoulder, making a mental note to have someone come out and fix that. Wouldn't do to lose someone on the bridge.

"Focus, Mr. Haddock," Astrid chimed in front of him. "I'm up here."

Hiccup laughed. "Taking me somewhere? You seem to be in a rush."

"Yes, the Thorstons, I thought we covered this."

"Well, there isn't much privacy there. Ow."

Astrid laughed when as he rubbed his arm. "Wuss."

"Meanie."

"Dork."

"Your dork."

"Yes."

Hiccup grinned at the ground, amazed that after all these years he was still the one man in the entire Archipelago that was allowed to flirt with Astrid Hofferson. "Love you too."

"Oy, stop that," a voice called from nearby. "You both make me sick like back in the old days!"

Astrid waved a hand at Gobber cutely. "Sorry Gobber, some things never change."

"Aye, I can see that." Gobber sent the couple a look as they marched by in passing.

Astrid pulled her husband along until finally the Thorston's home came into view. Inside they could hear a baby girl's wails echoing through the new pine walls. As Astrid knocked, Hiccup stepped back on the porch to survey the newly built home.

"Wow, they did a good job didn't they?"

"Yeah. Tuffnut's excited because he requested a boarpit for the back yard."

"No… they didn't-"

"Oh yes they did."

"They have a bab-"

The door opened swiftly, cutting off Hiccup's words. Svala stood there looking frazzled while Ava squirmed in her arms, tears running down her red face. "Hey. What's up?

Astrid stepped forward and offered her arms for the child. "Need a break?"

"Could you tell?" Svala smiled and handed over her baby. "Come on in."

Hiccup stepped inside, looking around the room for Tuffnut. His eyes finally settled on his friend lying across one of the beams close to the ceiling. "Hey Tuff."

Tuffnut readjusted his position, felt the wood with a hand, sat up and pulled out a piece of sandpaper. As he began to sand the wood, he gave Hiccup a sly grin. "Hello, CH. House it going? Heheh get it? House? Because we got a new house-"

"Yep, yeah. I… I got it Tuff." Hiccup snickered. "What are you sanding the wood up there for?"

"Because it's my man perch, dude. Like, have you ever had a man perch?"

"Can't say I have, no."

"Well if you did have a man perch, like yours truly, you'd want one that's smooth and comfortable." Tuffnut brandished his sandpaper at the chief. "And last I checked, nobody wanted to ask his wife to pull splinters out of his back end because it wasn't sanded down! Well," Tuffnut snickered. "My wife's-"

Hiccup held out his arms. "I'm going to stop you right there!"

"But-"

"Nope! This is not Terrible Tales with Tuff Time-"

"Oh!" Tuffnut nearly jumped off his man perch. "That should totally be a thing! Terrible Tales with Tuff Time! There is- ya know, you _really_ have a gift, there is a very specific reason you became chief, ya know that?"

Hiccup stared at Svala and his wife. "Did being born into the bloodline have anything to do with it?"

"Pft, no." Tuffnut crossed his arms. "It is simply stated that you have a gift. I mean, look at Ava! She hasn't been this quiet in days, you guys come in here and she's completely silent!"

"Let's not draw attention to it," Svala warned. "She might notice that we're noticing and start to cry."

Ava looked around the room with wide blue eyes. Spotting Hiccup, she pointed out a chubby finger and gave him a pronounced, "GAH!"

"Gah?" Hiccup marched forward. "What's harder to say, do you think? Chief or Hiccup?"

Tuffnut snorted. "No, no, Gah is fine. She's very insistent on these things."

Hiccup rolled his eyes, holding out his hands. "Come here, sweetness." Ava eagerly held out her arms, accepting his embrace. "Wow," he glanced at Svala. "She's gotten heavy the last few months."

"You're telling me," Svala sighed, plopping onto the couch.

"Aren't you usually working?" Astrid asked as she sat down.

"Yes, but Grandma Ingerman gave me the day off. How's Erick?"

Hiccup's smile waned. "He's okay. Still hasn't woken up but he's made some progress: moves now and then."

Svala nodded. "Okay."

Tuffnut suddenly gasped and jumped down from his man perch. "Dude, you have to see my boar pit!"

"I was going to ask about the safety regulations on this decision," Hiccup muttered as he followed the tall blonde out the back door, Ava cooing in his arms. As soon as the door closed, Svala turned to Astrid.

"He looks better. A lot better."

Astrid nodded, unable to hide her smile. "We got some alone time yesterday."

"Oh?" Svala's eye twinkled.

"Oh shut up."

Svala snickered. "No no, I'm not making fun. I was just thinking about time."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "He's been busy."

"More like an obsessed workaholic who's been a recluse to his wife."

"He couldn't help it," Astrid sighed, hand on her forehead. "Finn stepping away has given him a chance to focus on other things-"

"Mainly you," Svala smirked.

Astrid ignored her comment. "So hopefully things can smooth out in time for Finn to come home."

Svala paused, weighing her words. Astrid watched her expression. "Do you know when he's coming back?"

Astrid looked at the floor. "No. But he'll come home. I know he will."

"I'm sure," Svala nodded. "I just…"

"What?"

"What if he takes a lot longer than we think? What if he's gone for months, or even years-"

"Please don't," Astrid stopped her. "I can't afford to think like that. He'll come back when he's ready. That's all I need to think about it."

Svala looked like she wanted to say more, but she held back. The back door presently swung open as the men and Ava reentered the house.

"-sure she won't fall in there then I suppose it's not a problem. Just keep that fence on it."

"Relaaaaax, chiefo, I've got it under wraps!" Tuffnut slapped him on the back. Leaning close to his daughter's face he grinned. "Right baby? Right?"

Ava wiggled in Hiccup's arms, pressing her arms against her face with a happy grin. She wobbled into Hiccup's neck with a grunt.

"Careful there," Hiccup smiled, patting her back. "Don't hurt yourself. Or break my nose."

"Break his nose!" Tuffnut cheered. "Let it be known that my daughter will be the next nosebreaker of the Thorston clan!"

"Please don't," Svala complained. "Oh, what time is the meeting this afternoon? Seeing as you guys didn't show up."

Hiccup ignored the look she passed to Astrid. "It will be at one."

"All right, better make sure my man eats before then."

"You know it!"

"You should have a date." Hiccup suggested. "Just you two. We can stay with Ava. Well, I can. Astrid?"

"Sure." Astrid smiled at the little girl cooing in Hiccup's arms. "It'll be fun. Nostalgic even."

"Quick, let's get out of here before they change their minds!" Tuffnut exclaimed, leaping over a chair to get to the front door.

"We'll be back in an hour." Svala said with a chortle as she watched her husband tear down the path to the village. "Thanks so much."

"It's no problem." Hiccup smiled confidently as Svala shut the door behind her.

The confident smile melted instantly when Ava realized what had happened. The baby let out a wail of despair. Her shrill voice echoed off the unfinished roof.

"Aww honey, mommy and daddy will be back soon." Hiccup said soothingly. "We'll have some fun here, you'll barely notice they're gone."

Ava was distraught. Hiccup thought wryly that Astrid was right about the situation being nostalgic. Adrianna had been similarly upset if they put her to bed too early and he remembered being up until the wee hours of the morning rocking her until she finally fell asleep. His heart twinged at the memory; she had been _so_ tiny and cute back then. An innocent little girl who had trusted him completely. He missed those days.

"Maybe we should get some toys out." Astrid suggested as Hiccup struggled to keep the flailing baby in his arms.

"Yeah, good plan." Hiccup sat down on the floor as Astrid extracted a stuffed Zippleback from a nearby toybox. He perched Ava on his lap as she continued to fuss. "Hey, look at the dragon. Look at the dragon, Ava."

Ava's big gray eyes lit up at the sight of the two-headed dragon in Astrid's arms. Her cries quieted and she reached out her little arms. Astrid smiled and gave her the dragon.

"See? Still got it." she said triumphantly.

"So you have." Hiccup smoothed Ava's hair and watched her play with the toy, eventually putting it in her mouth. "So many memories."

Astrid smiled. "Remember when we used to chase Finn down after his baths?"

"He'd run around stark naked until we could catch him." Hiccup laughed. "Hide under furniture so we had to yank him out by the foot."

"He had that funny squeal when we caught him." Astrid sighed. "He was a character. Adri too."

"Toothless made her laugh." Hiccup reminisced. "He'd plop himself down in front of her and let her use him to stand up. She'd crack up every time he made a noise." he let out a chuckle. "I think he started grunting at her just to make her laugh."

"Gods, I'd forgotten all about that." Astrid smiled. "She was adorable. They both were."

"So was Erick." Hiccup said quietly.

"Erick?"

"I've been thinking about it all week." Hiccup admitted, the smile melting off his face. "With everything going on. Do you remember his naming ceremony?"

"Did we go to that?"

"Yeah, we did." Hiccup adjusted Ava so that she would be more comfortable on his lap before continuing. "My dad wanted to teach me how to do them so he made us go. Erick was so small, I almost didn't see him."

Astrid paused, thinking about this for a few seconds. "Yes. I do remember that. Magnus was telling everyone who would listen to her that he was _her_ baby brother."

"Olaf let us hold him after the ceremony." Hiccup grinned, as the image of Erick's little face entered his brain for the first time in years. "I thought I was going to drop him, he was so little."

"He smiled at you." Astrid reminded him. "We saw those baby dimples and you just about melted."

"I remember asking if I could take him home." Hiccup chuckled. "But Olaf was against the idea."

"I still miss him." Astrid admitted quietly. "Sometimes, when we're in meetings, I look over and expect to see him sitting there. And he's not."

"I still half expect Benen to show up on Wednesdays for dinner." Hiccup grinned at Ava when she looked up at him but a wave of sadness crashed over him. "He'd know what to do. What to say. He'd have set Finn straight ages ago." his heart constricted at the memory of his old friend. "Finn was right about that. I'd have depended on him."

"I think he'd have told you that you needed to take care of this." Astrid said to him in a thoughtful tone. "And he'd have told Finn to talk to you. He always knew when to back off."

"True."

"BAH!" Ava chimed in, apparently annoyed that her caretakers were ignoring her.

"That's right, Ava." Hiccup said, his tone cheerful again. "Tell us what you really think."

Ava stuck out her tongue at them, making them laugh. She giggled along.

"It's hard to stay sad with a happy baby on your lap." Hiccup smiled at the little girl, who reached out and gripped his finger in her little fist.

Astrid stared pensively at Ava for a moment before sighing deeply. "I'm sorry, Hiccup."

Hiccup looked up at her. "Sorry?"

"For not having more." Astrid continued to stare at the little girl's smiling face. "I know you wanted them. You could have more little girls to dote on or boys to chase around the house."

"That's not your fault."

"I know." Astrid rubbed her hands on her face. "But it feels like I denied you something you really wanted."

"There's still grandkids." Hiccup shrugged. "I mean honestly... yeah, I wanted more. I did for a long time. I wish... I wish we'd been able to get to know Darin. The twins would have loved having a baby brother. But sometimes I think that it would have been more drama. More heartache. And it's been tough enough with Finn and Addie." he sighed. "Maybe two is the perfect number for us after all."

"Maybe it is." Astrid agreed. "But it went by _so_ fast. I miss those baby days. Snuggling with them on the couch, bathing them in the middle of the living room, making them laugh just by acting ridiculous... that was fun. As much as I complained, I really loved it."

"I did too." Hiccup said sadly. "But it's not over yet. We'll weather this storm just like we weathered the others." he reached out and put his hand on top of Astrid's. "Together."

They leaned forward and kissed each other. Ava squealed.

"All right, little lady. I think it's your turn to be the center of attention." Hiccup cooed at the baby, who grinned widely at him.

They were mostly silent for the rest of the hour, playing with Ava and remembering the early days with their own children. They were having so much fun, they were almost disappointed when Svala and Tuffnut returned just in time for the meeting.

* * *

After a quick lunch, Hiccup waited patiently as the council members entered the Great Hall and took their seats around the large table. Snotlout clapped him on the back as he took a seat on the chief's left. Ruffnut gave him a wolfish grin and slid into a seat beside her husband. Astrid promptly joined him at his right and finally, he spoke.

"Alright, let's get things started." Hiccup began. "First off, I apologize for my absence yesterday-"

"Where'd you go?" Ruffnut interrupted, a cruel glint in her eye.

Hiccup shrugged. "Nowhere actually. I just didn't show up."

"You mean we." Astrid smirked.

Hiccup flicked her leg, making her snicker as he continued. "Winter is almost here. How is stocking the barns coming along?"

"Right on schedule," Fishlegs said. "We've got most of our quota of fish and meats stored in the ice room."

"What about the Dragon Hangar?"

"Ready for winter, including supplies," Snotlout replied. "Plus we finished another dozen pens in case we get some new dragons."

"Great."

For the next half hour the chief and his council discussed various issues and tasks around the island. The council noted the couple's energy, wondering if it was their sudden day off or their son's absence that had created this happier atmosphere. Maybe it was a bit of both. Collectively, however, they were unwilling to ask about the Haddock boy's absence. They wouldn't ruin the mood.

But fate had other plans.

The squeak of a Terrible Terror interrupted Hiccup mid-sentence. The group looked up to see Sharpshot swoop from the rafters, having entered a Terrible Terror hole in the roof. The green dragon landed on Hiccup's shoulder and sniffed around in search of a fish.

"Hang on, there," Hiccup smirked, untying the note from the dragon's leg. "Fish are over there, mister."

Sharpshot flapped away while the chief unrolled the note and scanned the page. Within seconds, his heart constricted.

"Hiccup?" Astrid leaned forward, grabbing his wrist.

Snotlout jumped up. "Is he okay?"

Hiccup shakily exhaled, staring at the note. "No."

"No what?" Astrid snatched the note.

Ruffnut suddenly appeared at his side with a cup of water. "Drink this, you just went white as a sheet."

Astrid's gasp forced them to look up. Hiccup watched his wife's face constrict in pain. "No." Slamming it onto the table with a loud bang that echoed through the chamber, Astrid stomped away from her husband.

"Astrid wait!" Hiccup lunged forward and grabbed her arm. "Don't go after him!"

"Why not?" Astrid whirled on her husband. "It's... it's _not_ true."

Hiccup forced his emotion down and stood. "Astrid."

"No, Hiccup, he's coming home!" Astrid yelled. "Even if I have to drag his butt back here, he's coming home!"

"Honey, read the note again."

"NO!" Astrid yelled, ignoring the confused, concerned stares from around the room. The burning sensation in her eyes only fueled her anger. "No, I'll find him and I'll bring him back here myself if I have to."

Hiccup grabbed her arm as gently as he could. "You won't find him-"

"Shut up!" Astrid shouted, sounding hysterical. "I won't let my little boy leave everything he knows! I won't!"

"Astrid-"

Astrid shoved against his chest but couldn't get free. "He's coming back, Hiccup! He's! Coming! Back!" She yelled, punctuating every word with a slap on his chest. Hiccup tugged her into his chest, holding her tight as the tears spilled down her face. "No… no, he has to come back! He _has_ to!"

The council watched as Hiccup buried his face in his wife's neck, her sobs echoing through the otherwise silent chamber. At long last, Gobber inched forward and picked up the piece of paper.

_I'm sorry. I've made too many mistakes to ever deserve your forgiveness, but I'm sorry. I'm never coming back. Don't try to find me. I'll be long gone before you make it to Brawn. Make Adrianna heiress. Gods know she deserves it more than I do. Goodbye._

_No longer your son,_

_Finn_

Gobber passed the note to Snotlout with a grim expression. He hobbled over to the Haddocks and wrapped his arms around the couple. He watched his old apprentice squeeze his eyes shut as tears rolled down his cheeks. Astrid shook in his arms. Finally, the old blacksmith looked around the room.

"Council dismissed."

The men and women sullenly stood from their seats and walked to the large doors. Only a few stayed for the sake of their friends. Snotlout passed the note to Fishlegs and took his seat again, watching helplessly as two of his childhood friends cried, brokenhearted. He tried to imagine Inga or one of his boys running away and sending him a message stating they'd never come home. He couldn't fathom the pain they must be feeling at having just read their child's final message.

The Hall remained silent. There were no words to be said.

* * *

Adrianna wasn't oblivious: something was wrong. People were giving her weird looks, a few whispering behind hands as she walked by. She could tell what they were discussing didn't have to do with her appearance, or even about her in general. But the way they looked at her with pity or sadness made her skin crawl.

At first she thought something had happened to Erick. Checking in with Mara, however, proved her suspicions false. He was still unconscious, but the healer said she hoped the young man would wake up soon. She left with the instructions to "stop by in a few hours".

The cold feeling in her stomach didn't leave even after she'd left the village behind. She glanced over her shoulder as she crossed the bridge, wondering if Brandyn knew what was going on. When she finally reached her house, she frowned at the sight of Toothless lying on the porch with his head resting on his front paws.

"Toothless?" Adrianna crouched to look at him. "You sick buddy?"

Toothless crooned sadly and halfheartedly licked her hand.

"What's wrong?"

The door suddenly opened, drawing her attention up the porch. Adrianna cocked her head when Heather Jorgenson stepped outside. The dark-haired woman gave her a small smile. Adrianna knew that look.

"What happened?" She demanded, rising to her feet.

Heather held out her hands in a placating gesture. "Anna… it's best if your parents tell you."

Her blood ran cold. "Finn?"

"Come inside."

Despite the fire burning in the center fire pit, Adrianna had never known her house to feel so cold. One look at her parents spoke volumes, yet she still didn't know what had happened. Her mother sat at the dining table with a mug of tea, her face red, puffy and drawn tight. Her father sat in the center of the couch with his face buried in his hands. Neither of them moved when she came in nor when Heather gently closed the door behind them.

Heather stepped around her and bustled around the room with quiet footsteps. Adrianna had never seen her parents look so depressed. Not since… she gulped. Not since she herself had been kidnapped. Shoving back those horrific memories, she gently stepped forward.

"Daddy?

Hiccup didn't move.

Adrianna looked across the room. "Mom?"

Astrid snapped out of her trance, blue eyes locking on her daughter instantly. She stood and in three fluid steps had Adrianna wrapped tightly in her arms. The girl could feel her mother shaking.

"What happened?" She asked quietly.

Heather rested a hand on both of their shoulders. "I'll leave you all alone. Send a Terror if you need _anything_."

Astrid gave a single stiff nod before Heather left. She heard the door open and close before she moved. She smoothed her daughter's hair down and straightened her shirt, almost as if she was afraid her little girl would disappear before her eyes.

"Adri… Um." Astrid swallowed, gently pulling over to a chair.

Apprehension pressed upon her the longer her mother waited and father remained silent, still unmoving on the couch. Her mother _never_ faltered. Her father never had _nothing_ to say. Finally, she couldn't take it any longer.

Straightening her back, Adrianna said, "Just tell me. Please. What happened?"

Astrid's jaw tightened. "Finn… Finn's not coming home."

Adrianna stiffened. "What do you mean?"

Her mother bit her lip and pointed to the table in front of Hiccup. A note lay face up on the table top. Adrianna gingerly lifted the paper and read it over once, twice, three times before she finally let it rest in her lap.

"How could he do this?" She hissed. "He's always making everything worse."

"Adri…" Astrid grasped her hand. "If… if he never comes home… you do know what that means, right?"

Adrianna sighed through her nose. "I'll have to be chief."

Hiccup suddenly took a shuddering breath. "I'm sorry, Addie. I'm so sorry." He sounded so heartbroken, it made her chest hurt.

"Oh daddy," Adrianna sat beside him on the couch and hugged him tight. "It's not your fault. Not any of it. I'll do what I have to do, but it's _not_ your fault."

"You shouldn't have to." Hiccup shook his head as Astrid sat on his other side and hugged his middle.

Adrianna pressed her face into his shoulder. "It'll be okay."

She felt the lie roll off her tongue and wished she could take it back. She hoped it would be okay; she prayed it would be. But she couldn't guarantee anything. Because of her idiot brother, their lives might never be the same. He'd changed their parents' lives just as much she had. Now it seemed he'd made it his own personal mission to make their lives as hellish as possible.

Heiress. She would have to train to be a chieftess from now on. Her heart dropped its way down to her boots, clanging against one bone at a time. Any hopes and dreams she had might have to be put on hold now. Being a wife and mother wasn't out of the question of course. Kara of Brawn was a successful chieftess as well as a wife and mother. It could be done. But becoming chief certainly hadn't been part of her agenda. That had always been Finn's drive, his passion. His destiny.

She couldn't see herself as a chief. She couldn't see herself running the village like her father did, holding village meetings and traveling across the Archipelago, training dragons and catching renegade teenaged gangs. She wasn't meant to be all… that. She wasn't sure what she was meant to be, but she felt in her heart that it wasn't _that_. But if her idiot brother never came home, she'd do it. She _would_ make her parents proud. She _would_ do right by them. She'd had her own skirmishes with them in the past, but it was time to put all that aside. They needed her to be strong. She'd find a way to fill the gaping hole that was left in her brother's stead, even if she had to sacrifice her own desires to do so.

Suddenly, she stood up. "I'm going to Erick's." she said simply before turning and walking out of the door again.

She tromped down to the healer's as fast as she could. She didn't want to think about her new status. She didn't want to think about anything at all. She just wanted to see her best friend, to make sure he was okay. She pushed past Mara when she finally got there and plopped herself next to her best friend's bed. She'd be there all night if she had to.

Hours ticked by. Adrianna's eyelids felt heavy but she continued to stare at her friend's face, mentally begging him to wake up. Other than her parents, he knew her better than anyone she knew, even more than Brandyn. She missed him with an ache that seemed to tear a hole in her heart. She felt like crying as his body remained still.

She thought she had only put her head down for a moment. She could hear Mara walking around, tending to the other patient across the room, but the next second, it was completely silent. The lights were extinguished except for a small lamp on the shelf next to Erick. She could feel drool on her arms from her slack mouth, which meant she'd probably been asleep for hours. _Deeply_ asleep. But something had awakened her. She stirred, blinking her eyes so that the room would be in focus.

Then she heard a croaky, weak moan emanating from someone nearby. She wiped her eyes and tried to focus on Erick. A part of her thought she must be imagining this. He couldn't be awake, not so soon after what had happened. And certainly not after she had been pleading with him to wake.

"Erick?" she whispered tentatively. "Can you hear me?"

The boy's head turned the tiniest bit toward her voice. "Annie?" he croaked.

"It's me." Adrianna stood up and leaned over him so that her face would be in focus. Erick's eyes fluttered.

"Hurts." he groaned. "M-my foot..."

Adrianna suddenly felt the urge to cry but she pushed it down. "You'll be okay." she promised, her heart pounding in her ears.

"Wh-wha happened?" Erick mumbled, wincing with each word.

"There was an accident." Adrianna explained as gently as she could. She could feel her voice shaking with the effort not to break down right there. "You... you got really hurt." she couldn't bring herself to tell him the horrible truth. That his foot was long gone. That he may never walk again. "You're getting better now."

"Hurts..." Erick whimpered, his hands trembling at his sides. Adrianna took one in her own. "R-really hurts..."

"I know it does." Adrianna's voice was choked as a tear finally slipped down her face. He looked like he was in extreme agony. "You'll be okay, I promise."

Erick's hand tightened around hers. "Scared." he whispered.

"I know. Me too." Adrianna reached up and brushed his bangs out of his eyes. "I'm not going anywhere." She leaned down and kissed his forehead.

Erick leaned into her touch, almost like he was savoring it. She thought she saw his mouth quirk into a tiny smile. But that may have been a trick of the light.

"Go back to sleep." Adrianna told him. "You need it. I'll be right here if you need me, okay?"

Erick squeezed her hand again in response as he finally closed his eyes. In seconds, his breathing deepened but his hand continued to grip hers, like he needed that assurance even as he slept. Adrianna continued to stroke his hair, tears dripping down her front until she too succumbed to her exhaustion and fell asleep beside his bed.


	23. Back to the Source

Finn had been the tiniest bit terrified to return to Maero. He wasn't sure if he'd be subject to flashbacks like his sister at the sights and sounds of the most dreadful place he'd ever been. He felt his stomach churning when it came into sight, so much that he had to lie down just after he touched down to alleviate the nausea. Once he felt better, he spent a few minutes setting up camp before collapsing into the tent and falling asleep instantly.

The next morning, he awoke to the sun shining through the opening at the front of his makeshift tent. For the first time in a very long while, he didn't feel like getting up. He was usually a morning person and the very idea of sleeping until the sun was high enough to beam down at him so brightly had once been abhorrent. Now he felt like rolling over and going back to sleep. Unfortunately, he also needed to go to the outhouse so he figured that was as good a reason as any to get up.

When he had gone through his morning routine, minus breakfast lest the nausea return, he set out for the source of his problems.

Finn knew this path. It was a bit surprising, even to him, that his memory was as sharp as it was considering the last time he had been there was 8 years ago. His body felt stiff, his stomach churning with a mixture of anger and fear. He was literally walking directly into his nightmares but this time, he wouldn't back down.

The stones on the path were sharp, he could feel them through his boot. He remembered his feet bleeding after the long trek to the house. The second night, Benen had brought him some water so that he could wash them. The man hadn't spoken but it was a gesture of kindness he hadn't forgotten. Now that he thought about it, it had probably been extremely risky to attempt to sneak water from the well without Ratri noticing. Even after Benen had died, Finn still found new reasons to love and respect him.

As the house finally came into view, the Haddock boy felt another wave of nausea. Weeds covered the walls and the garden was in shambles but beyond that, there was no difference between the house as it was now and the house he had left. Finn looked for signs of more slaves but apparently Ratri had given up on the idea. Or perhaps he could no longer afford them.

Finn's strides became more difficult the closer the house became. It was so much smaller than he remembered. Perhaps this was because he was so much smaller at age 7. Or because his dreams made it seem like an impenetrable, cavernous prison. Either way, it hardly looked like the setting of hundreds of nightmares. In fact, it hardly looked like anyone lived there.

His eyes traveled to the tiny building out back where he and Benen had slept. Almost of their own accord, he walked up to it and lifted a trembling hand to push it open. Two mats still remained. Finn remembered curling up on his and forcing back tears until he fell asleep. He had to bend down now to even enter the room because the roof was several inches too low. There were dusty boxes piled on top of the mats, like Ratri had started using this as a storage room. Clearly no one had lived here for quite some time. Finn sincerely hoped it had been deserted for the full 8 years but, knowing Ratri, he couldn't be sure.

He crouched down next to Benen's mat. A tiny indentation still remained in the middle, where his best friend had slept. Finn got on his knees and traced the faint outline with his finger. His heart ached with grief at the realization that Benen had slept there for _years_. This flat, uncomfortable mat that had made Finn's back sore had been the most comfortable object in his friend's possession.

Something on the wall caught his eye as he looked up at the boxes. Just next to the mat where Benen had slept, words were carved into the wooden wall. Finn had to crouch down low to see them through the strips of sunlight shining through the wooden beams. He squinted at the faded letters, worn by years of rain and snow seeping through the small building. One name finally jumped out to him.

_Nora._

Finn felt a wave of sadness for his friend. Nora was Benen's older sister's name. The two had been very close but he had never seen her again after the raid on his village. And yet, over forty years later, he had carved her name in the dank, dingy place he slept as a comfort to him in his life of misery. Finn made out the names of Benen's parents, Claire and Aedan. A few names Benen had mentioned when talking about old friends he'd had. Aida's name was the most worn of them all, presumably the first he had carved. There was a name Finn didn't recognize at all, Camille. But it was the name squeezed into the space closest to the corner that stunned Finn the most. He felt his throat constrict, his eyes burn with tears as he stared at the four letters over and over again.

 _Finn_.

Benen had written the name of the little boy he had only known for a day among the names of people he had loved all his life. This tiny gesture was enough to make Finn want to break down crying again. _How_ had he known? How _could_ he know that he would come to love Finn the way he loved his own family? That he would _die_ for this boy? Finn reached out and touched the worn letters on the wall, his fingers shaking with pent up emotion.

Hiccup and Astrid had offered to take Benen to find his family. They had been willing to let him leave Berk forever to live his own life with his own people. And Benen had turned it down. He had turned down seeing Nora's possible children or grandchildren, had turned down finding Aida again, seeing his own _home_ again. He had chosen to live the rest of his life on a strange island simply because of a little boy he had met three days previously. The weight of Benen's sacrifice crashed down on Finn so that he felt tears dripping down his face. His best friend had truly been the strongest, bravest, most humble and compassionate person he had ever known. It was something Finn knew he would never have been able to repay and yet Benen had never drawn attention to it, never once used his selfless actions as leverage when the two had had a rare disagreement.

And Finn had done nothing short of ruining his memory. Instead of taking this path of selflessness and compassion, he had turned into the sort of monster who had abused Benen every day for decades. For the first time, he was _glad_ Benen had died before he had to see what an abusive tyrant Finn had become. He didn't think he could handle those sad, disappointed blue eyes boring into him. Benen would be _so_ ashamed of him.

"I'm sorry." Finn whispered to the wall of names. "I wasn't worth staying for. I wasn't worth saving. I should have died when that barn collapsed, not you." he put his forehead against the wall as a wave of tears dripped down his face.

 _WHACK_!

A sharp pain exploded across Finn's upper back and neck. The Haddock boy jumped to his feet and came face to face with a frail, elderly man whose cold gray eyes he could never forget. The man bellowed something in Latin but the words were garbled in the boy's ears. For a moment, he stood still, his heart pounding loudly and his body frozen in terror.

Then the spell broke.

With one swift movement, Finn threw out his hand and grasped the man's throat before slamming him into the wall of the building.

"You!" he growled through gritted teeth.

"Let me go!" Ratri whimpered in a weak, strangled voice. "Spare me!"

"Spare _you_?" Finn let out a mad, derisive laugh. "Look at my face."

"Please-"

"LOOK AT IT!" Finn shouted. "And don't tell me you don't know who I am."

The gray eyes that had flashed through his dreams locked onto his. In a moment, they widened in recognition.

"I'm not a helpless little boy anymore." Finn hissed, his nose centimeters from Ratri's.

"I give you anything! Have mercy!" Ratri begged in a trembling voice.

"MERCY?" Finn bellowed, his grip on the man's throat tightening. "You think you deserve _mercy_ for what you did to me? Did you give me mercy when I begged you not to beat me? Did you give me mercy when you watched blood pouring down my shoulders? When you kept me in _chains_?" the man whimpered again, his veins pulsing beneath Finn's fingers. Finn leaned forward until their noses touched. "Give me a reason. One reason to spare you."

Tears poured out of Ratri's eyes as he struggled hopelessly against Finn's hold. He knew he had no answer. He knew Finn had the upper hand. He knew he was going to die and Finn enjoyed watching him squirm.

The desire to tighten his hand and watch the life drain out of Ratri's eyes enveloped the Haddock boy. It would be too easy. A fitting end to the monster who had beaten him, spat on him, treated him as less than the dirt beneath his feet. The man who had treated Benen like property for years. Anger fueled him and his fist tightened. Ratri's eyes bulged. And then, very suddenly, a voice entered his head.

_"If you remember nothing else, remember this: in life, you have many paths to choose from. Some are good, some not so good. And sometimes you don't know which path is the right path. But it's never too late to change it."_

Finn dry swallowed, his eyes still locked onto the man he hated more than anything. Ending his life would be _so_ easy. But Benen's voice echoed through his mind. The stubborn boy within him desperately wanted to end it. But if Benen were watching him right now... what would _he_ want him to do?

 _Now_ was the time to choose his path. _Now_ was the time to decide who he truly wanted to be. Did he want to be the raging man who lashed out every time he was wronged or the wise man who valued mercy and forgiveness? He could choose the path Ratri had chosen, the path of abuse and hatred for his fellow man... or he could choose the path Benen had chosen. He felt the full weight of his choice. _The time was now_.

His heart pounding and his eyes burning, Finn slowly lowered Ratri to the ground and opened his hand.

Ratri gasped. "Wh-why-"

"That wasn't me." Finn hissed to the older man, malice in every syllable. "That was Benen, the man you _tortured_ and _insulted_. But I _won't_ be like you."

He shoved the man against the wall and stomped away, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. And though he didn't know it then, that would be the last time he ever saw the house, either in real life or in his dreams.

* * *

Cliff Smedley hadn't slept in days.

Every time he closed his eyes, the scene replayed. His best friend Erick lying in a pool of blood, bone shards everywhere, his screams echoing off the walls... there was no escaping it. In Cliff's entire life, he'd never seen anything so horrific. And underneath it all was the constant, pervasive fear that that would be the last time he ever saw Erick alive.

But the Smedley boy's behavior didn't go unnoticed, at least not by Vernon and Thalia Smedley. Very little slipped past them, especially concerning their only child. Cliff had always been quite a character, even in his shyer youth, but they had never known him to be this morose. He had insisted on going to work but Horst told them he barely got anything done.

To Thalia, this level of depression was simply unacceptable for her son. She had spent the better of ten years trying to encourage him to be outgoing and cheerful so that he would have friends. Cliff had taken these lessons to heart in the last year and was finally getting out of the house and chattering away about his new best friend Erick. Vernon, a man of few words, listened with a smile as Thalia peppered their boy with questions about work and Erick and dragon training.

They honestly hadn't expected Cliff to turn into a recluse, not after all the progress he had been making. They never thought they'd see the day when he spent every night petrified of falling asleep and every day crying at random and locking himself in his bedroom. So when Vernon finally heard that Erick had awakened during the night, he had gone immediately to fetch his wife so they could talk to their son together. Cliff was at the leather shop, shakily trying to repair a saddle. There were dark circles under his eyes and he had to blink constantly to keep himself focused.

"Hey," Thalia said in a gentle tone, sitting down next to Cliff and putting her hands on his shoulders, "how are you feeling?"

Cliff shook his head. He looked to be on the verge of tears again.

"Erick woke up last night." Thalia continued. "I'm sure you heard about it."

Cliff nodded.

"Why don't you go talk to him?" Thalia asked, squeezing her son's shoulders. "I'm sure he'd love to see you."

"I can't." Cliff mumbled.

"Why not?"

"Just can't."

"I think it'll be good for you." Vernon spoke up at last. "See him awake."

"Mhm, and you'll make him smile." Thalia added. "He needs to smile right now."

Cliff put his head in his hands and his shoulders shook. Thalia rubbed his back.

"I thought he was going to _die_." he whimpered.

"I know you did."

"He might still die."

"No he won't." Vernon said firmly. "Hiccup didn't. Gobber didn't. Erick's going to be fine."

Cliff lifted his head and wiped tears off his face. Vernon's expression softened.

"If he's your best friend, you should go see him when he needs you." he stated.

"Your dad's right." Thalia ruffled her son's curly hair. "Go now. You're no help here."

"But Horst-"

"Can handle it. You're not exactly rolling in orders, especially after what happened." Thalia patted his back. "Come on, up you go."

"Aw, but mom-"

"Don't argue with me." Thalia waited until her son was standing before she crossed the room to open the door. "Go be a... a bruh."

Cliff gave her a halfhearted, though somewhat amused, smile as he crossed the room. He leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. "Thanks."

"Love you, Cliffy." Thalia beamed at him.

"Love you too, mom. And you, dad."

Vernon nodded at him, which Cliff knew to mean "I love you too."

* * *

Adrianna woke up with a sore back. She wasn't used to sleeping while sitting and she disliked it immensely. She made a mental note to sleep in her bed that night. Erick was still unconscious but he occasionally grunted in his sleep. That had to be a good sign, didn't it?

"Morning, sleepyhead." Inga said cheerfully, pulling back the curtain. "Can't say this is the most relaxing place to spend the night. Unless you're the patient."

"Can't say you're wrong." Adrianna replied through a yawn. "Worth it though. I got to talk to him."

"Yeah, Mara was up to go to the outhouse and she overheard you two. By the time she came back to chat, you were both out again. Word got all over Berk this morning." Inga stared at Erick's sleeping form. "He looks better. But I'm no expert."

"Aren't you training to be a healer?"

"The important word in that question is _training_." Inga reminded her. "So did you want to stay for breakfast or are you going to the Great Hall?"

"I'll stay." Adrianna told her. "I want to be here if he wakes up again."

"Ah. I leave you lovebirds be then." Inga smiled knowingly, her eyes resting on their clasped hands.

"It's not like that." Adrianna mumbled.

"It's _always_ been like that, you two are just too stubborn to see it." Inga raised an eyebrow. "Been obvious to everyone else for years."

"Like you and Finn?"

"How dare you imply something so preposterous." Inga scoffed. "We're not even friends."

"The sparks you two throw are strong enough to power Berk for a month." Adrianna smirked at Inga's outraged expression. "Deny it all you want. But you're _so_ going to be my sister."

Inga paused, looking like she'd just remembered something unpleasant. "I thought Finn wasn't coming back."

Adrianna shrugged; now that she had slept, she had decided to shove away such negative thinking. "Nothing can stop true love."

"I _will_ smack you."

"Okay, okay." Adrianna put her free hand up in mock surrender. "I know better than to get on your bad side."

"As well you should." Inga narrowed her eyes at the Haddock girl. "I'll toss a muffin your way when I get the chance."

"You didn't _bake_ said muffin, did you?"

"Why would that matter?"

"Because I hate it when people throw rocks at me."

" _Ugh_ , you're just as bad as your evil twin." Inga stomped off.

"Love you, sis!" Adrianna called after her.

"Yeah yeah." Inga waved an arm dismissively.

Adrianna snickered and turned back to Erick, who had begun to stir.

"You two are loud." he mumbled, his mouth stretching into a tiny smile.

"Sibling rivalry." Adrianna replied. "How are you feeling?"

Erick opened his eyes and stared blearily at the ceiling. "Awful." he croaked.

"You probably will for a while." Adrianna adjusted the bed so Erick could sit up a little bit. "Want something to drink?"

"Water?"

"No, Gobber's finest mead." Adrianna deadpanned. Erick's mouth turned up in a smile. "Yes, water."

"Thanks." Erick said hoarsely.

Adrianna fetched him the nearest skin of water and held it up to his mouth. He had to drink slowly but he looked a bit better when he was finished.

"Not sure how I feel about sarcasm this early in the morning." Erick mumbled.

"It's almost eleven."

"Early for you." he winked at her. "So how..." he squeezed his eyes shut and put a hand to his temple.

Adrianna leaned in to get a closer look at his face. "Are you okay?"

"Headache." Erick replied. "Going away. H-how'd I get here?"

"You... you don't remember?" Adrianna's face fell. The last thing she wanted to do was to tell Erick that he would need to walk with a prosthetic for the rest of his life. "I'm not sure I'm the right person to tell you this..."

"Hey," Erick took her hand and squeezed it. Adrianna's heart lifted with hope because his grip was quite strong for someone who had nearly died less than a week ago. "You're my best friend. I trust you."

Adrianna smiled at these words. Even if he didn't remember their exchange just before he passed out, her presence here seemed to have clued him in.

She steeled herself. "First off... what do you remember?"

"Um... I was goofing off with Cliff. Goes fuzzy after that. Why, did I hit my head?" Erick put his free hand to his temple.

"No, your head is fine." Adrianna replied softly. She gazed down at his leg for a split second. "We think it was an accident... the only witness isn't here to ask what really happened. But you and Finn were on the mill. Somehow... you fell in."

Erick's breath hitched. He stared at her with slightly parted lips. "What..."

"Erick... Your leg..." Adrianna gently touched the blankets beside his knee.

She watched a bead of sweat trickle down his left temple. "What... What's wrong with it?"

"It's healing just fine." Adrianna said softly. "But..." She didn't know how to say it, so she merely lifted the blankets to reveal his stump.

Erick sucked in a breath and froze, staring at his leg in a mixture of horror and shock. Adrianna tried to gauge his response, unsure where to continue.

"Mara said it's healing really well... And my dad was unconscious for his accident much longer-"

Erick suddenly grasped her hand tightly. His face was tight in agony. "I don't remember." He whispered hoarsely, tears gathering in his eyes. "Annie, I don't remember anything!"

"It's okay! It's okay," Adrianna quickly sat forward and hugged him tight. "We'll figure it out, I promise, and we'll get you a prosthetic just like my dad's and we'll get you back on your feet again in no time. I _promise_."

She didn't know how to make it better or what words to say. But she suspected only time and friendship would help him cope with the shocking news.

A soft knock on the curtain made Erick pull away, wiping the tears out of his eyes with a hand. Adrianna turned to the door questioningly. "I don't know if you want to see anyone-"

"I-It's okay..." Erick swallowed. "I'm okay."

Adrianna nodded. He wanted, no _needed_ , something to ground him again. Having extra people might help calm him down.

She turned toward the opening. "Come in!"

Cliff tentatively poked his head in. "Hey."

"Oh, it's _you_." Erick deadpanned with a smirk. "Should have known you'd do something like knock on a _curtain_."

"Oh, do you want me to go?" Cliff's face fell.

"What? No, I was kidding." Erick looked slightly apologetic as he held out his free hand. "C'mere, bruh."

Cliff slowly sauntered in, glancing once at Erick's leg. Adrianna quickly covered it again for both their sakes. "Sorry I'm just now coming..."

"I just woke up. So unless you wanted to hear me snore at you, you're just in time." Erick quipped with a smile.

"Ehh, it wasn't that obnoxious." Adrianna shrugged. "I tuned it out after a while."

"Hey!" Erick narrowed his eyes at her as Cliff tittered nervously. "Not helping."

"Looks like you've had her all to yourself." Cliff playfully punched Adrianna's shoulder. "Quite the ladies man, aren't you?"

"Oh be quiet," Adrianna smacked his arm.

"Behave, you two." Erick made a mock serious face at them both. "Or I'll have to kick you out for disturbing the peace."

Cliff gave half a smile. "Your face is disturbing the peace."

Erick narrowed his eyes but shook his head in slight confusion. This wasn't the Cliff he was used to seeing. Sure, some of the playful attitude was there, but it was guarded. Withheld. In the other boy's eyes, he saw worry and fear underneath the goofy guise.

"So I'm going to get you guys some food." Adrianna said after an awkward silence. She squeezed Erick's hand. "I'll be back."

"Take your time." Erick smiled at her as she walked out. Then he turned to Cliff. "What's up, man?"

Cliff sat in the chair Adrianna had vacated. Erick knew Cliff to fidget a lot anyway. But as the seconds ticked by, the boy wrung his fingers together tightly and squirmed in his seat. Erick had never seen him look so _morose_.

"Cliff?"

Finally, the curly-haired boy looked up. "I thought you were going to die, Erick."

Erick swallowed. "What happened?"

Cliff's eyes widened. "Horst and I heard you screaming. We ran up and you were just..." He paused, taking a shaky breath. "Th-there was blood everywhere. Finn was there, I don't know why. Then Horst told me to go get help and I found Hiccup." Cliff ran a hand along his face. "It keeps replaying in my head every day."

Erick took in his friend's condition. Dark circles under his eyes, pale skin. He didn't look good. "I'm sorry, Cliff. You shouldn't have had to see that."

Cliff shook his head bitterly. "Not your fault."

"What's that mean? Does Finn know what happened?"

Cliff glared at the floor. "Finn's gone. Took off that night." Erick blinked in shock.

"Gone? Took off, what-"

"He did something." Cliff said in a wrathful voice, which was even weirder than him being silent. "Nobody knows what happened up there and Finn left before anyone could question him. And now that hes vowing to never come back-"

"Never come back?" Erick asked in shock. "Why wouldn't he come back?"

Cliff shrugged indifferently. "Guilt? Good riddance, I say."

"You make it sound like its his fault..."

Cliff glared at a spot slightly to his left. "We left you up there alone. It wasn't five minutes and you were screaming. He was _supposed_ to be in jail. You do the math."

Erick blinked suddenly, a sliver of a memory surfacing. "Wait... Finn." He dropped his head into his hands. "Finn _was_ there."

Cliff's voice was softer. "You remember?"

Adrianna's voice wafted over his shoulder. "You remember something?" Both boys looked up at her in surprise. She smiled wanly and said in a sing-song voice, "I'm back."

"It was an accident." Erick muttered. "He didn't mean to do it, I tripped."

"You don't have to protect him. He's not here. He's not coming back." Adrianna growled, handing both boys a muffin.

"No, I mean it. It was an accident. It was stupid but I remember Finn's face when he pulled me out. He didn't mean to do it." Erick said firmly.

"Yeah, he was upset all right." Adrianna reluctantly conceded. "But he didn't even apologize. He just flew off."

"Annie, he _is_ your brother-"

"So what?" Adrianna huffed. "If he nearly _kills_ someone, I have to bail him out? I don't think so."

"I'm not saying that and you know it." Erick said in an uncharacteristically serious tone. "He's not a lost cause."

"I don't _hate_ him." Adrianna said darkly. "I just never want to see him again."

"I don't think you mean that." Erick took her hand. "And I don't even think you're supposed to forgive him right here and now. But come on, if there's a chance for reconciliation-"

"Just because _your_ brother is an idiot doesn't mean-"

"Um..." Cliff interrupted. "No offense but I kind of see both your points. And I don't like watching my favorite couple argue."

Adrianna and Erick stared at each other for a second before Erick shrugged. "Look, just give him another chance. That's all I'm asking. Because I swear, it was an accident."

Adrianna studied his face. Cliff stared at the floor in frustration. "Well," she said finally, hand on her hip. " _If_ he ever shows his face here again, I guess we'll have to ask him."

Adrianna stepped over to the curtain, clearly closing the conversation for herself.

"Annie?" She turned back to Erick with a raised eyebrow. "If Finn's gone... does that make you the future chief?"

Adrianna's brow pinched slightly. "It would seem so." With that, she pushed out the curtain, her long blonde hair swishing down her back as she went.

"She's not too happy about that," Cliff muttered. "He bailed out on a lot of stuff. But like I said, good riddance."

Erick's heart clenched at those words. He wouldn't press the matter, but deep down he knew Finn hadn't wanted this. There was always hope for change. If Finn's parents had taught him anything, it was that there was always hope. Anybody could change the course of their future.

* * *

One would think watching the ocean waves beating upon the seashore in a rhythmic pattern would be relaxing. But from two thousand feet up, Finn found himself bored and depressed beyond measure.

He knew he'd made the right decision in letting Ratri go. Deep down, he felt it was the right thing. But even in the aftermath, he felt withdrawn, rudderless. He wasn't sure what to do next or where to go. He still didn't have a plan. However, it was at this point that he didn't care.

Usually he liked sunsets. The sky beheld a kaleidoscopic view: a cacophony of colors so vast and beautiful that usually took his breath away. He figured he was like his dad that way. Always staring at the horizon with a certain longing in his eyes, that hungering desire to see how far he could go, how fast he could fly. But now, Finn stared down at the rocky crags below, peeking out of the frothy waves.

He'd always been an active person. For as long as he could remember, he'd always bounced out of bed and run out the door, ready for another day of playing or hard work. Finn always found some activity or work to be done to lift his spirits. He'd never known depression like this could exist. He felt dull, blank. Any activities that would normally cheer him up sounded bleak and dismal. He didn't have a care in the world for anyone or anything. It was at this point in his loneliness that he wanted to drown in loneliness itself. Nothing could possibly help him now.

Sharpshot took the note to his parents. Despite Toothless' and Stormfly's great tracking skills, he knew what to do to evade them if need be. It would take them at least a week to track him to Maero, which was now a dozen miles west. He'd stopped Thornado on a lonely little island in the middle of the ocean. If they ever came looking, and he suspected at some point they might, they wouldn't find him here. He'd be long gone by then, one way or another.

A pebble rolled off the edge and plummeted down the chasm. Finn watched until it disappeared from his vision. Thornado was somewhere in the woods, either hunting or sleeping or just keeping his distance. His mood swings had increased the last few days that Finn almost didn't think his dragon would even notice his disappearance. It would be easy to just slip off the edge and let himself free fall until SPLAT! No more Fearless Finn Haddock to be seen or heard from again. If he deserved anything, that's what it was.

Finn was just warming up to the idea, _really_ considering it, when a high pitch wail of distress sounded from the woods. He whipped around with a gasp, blue eyes searching. It wasn't Thornado, but it was definitely a dragon. He couldn't immediately place the species, so it must be a dragon he'd never seen before. The wail sounded again from deep in the forest and Finn found himself scrambling to his feet. Even in his depressed state, that was a distinct distress call from a giant flying lizard. It was ingrained in his system, practically in his blood stream to come to its rescue.

A branch slapped him in the face as he plunged into the forest. The deeper into the wood he ran, the more the trees seemed to thicken. Weaving between the massive trunks and bushes, Finn strained his ears to find the distressed dragon. Finally, a crash sounded from nearby, followed by distinct, angry growls. Finn turned a corner and saw a large tree trunk blocking his path. He paused only for a second to find the easiest route over the obstruction. Running toward a nearby boulder, Finn kicked off and vaulted over the fallen tree and landed on the other side. He rose from his crouch and gasped when he caught sight of the most beautiful dragon he'd ever seen.

Glistening blue-green scales of varying hues from tail to snout with matching sea green eyes, writhing in a rope net tethered to the ground. She tossed and turned on her side, bashing her tail against the ground, trees, anything in her path. Finn swallowed hard, staring at her in awe before she caught sight of him. The dragon wailed in fear, struggling against the ropes, her claws creating deep grooves in the ground.

"Hey, no, it's okay!" Finn called, quickly grabbing any knives or weapons he had on him and throwing them as far away as he could before she really got dangerous. The weapons clattered into a heap in the bushes behind him and the dragon's thrashing lessened. She stared at him with a wary, cold eye. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

Finn inched forward, holding out a hand. The vibrant dragon growled lowly, issuing a warning. Finn gingerly stepped closer, stopping at ten feet from her snout but careful to stay in her line of sight.

"Look at you…" Finn murmured, crouching to look her in the eye. "You're quite a beauty, aren't you?"

The dragon sniffed at him and looked away, clearly annoyed.

For the first time in a while, Finn cracked a smile. "Listen, I'll help you out of that if you promise not to bite my hand off. That sound fair?" Inching forward, he closed the distance until he sat three feet in front of her. She glared at him, her gaze piercing. Finn almost wished his father was here. He'd probably know what kind of dragon this was and what all of her special abilities were from how fast she could fly to what her favorite food was, right down to what kind of fire she breathed. All that good stuff. But his dad wasn't here, so he'd have to figure all that out later.

This net was clearly set by dragon trappers. He'd heard her screams from nearly a mile away. There was no telling if the trappers were still on the island. He didn't want to get captured with them. He'd had enough of being captured in his lifetime.

Carefully, he held out a hand in front of her snout. She growled indignantly, trying to back away. "Hey, it's okay, look," Finn said carefully. "Look, I just want to help. I'll get you out and I'll leave you alone. I'll walk away and never see you again. Okay?"

The bluish green dragon stared at him beadily for another minute before looking at his hand. He watched in fascination as her eyes dilated. Finally, she inched forward, sniffed his palm, and eased her snout into it. Finn held his breath. Raising up his other hand to gently scratch under her chin, he vaguely wondered if this was what his dad had felt back when he met Toothless: bonding with a dragon for the first time… the first boy to ever bond with a dragon.

Her scales were warm and a little slimy, leaving a sticky residue on his hand when he withdrew. He vaguely wondered if she was an aquatic dragon, like Thornado. The dragon hummed eagerly when he scratched her chin.

Finn smiled. "Yeah yeah… let's get on with it."

Inching forward, he began inspecting the ropes. It took a few minutes, especially without some kind of weapon to cut the rope (which would have been the simplest route), but eventually he found a large knot behind her bony head. With deft fingers, Finn began to unravel the ropes. He was glad to have worked with weapons and rope long enough to have strong hands, or else he might not have been able to release her. He'd be crushed if he had to leave her here at the mercy of dragon trappers just because he couldn't untie a stupid knot.

Finally, the ropes loosened and Finn began to undo the crisscross design. The dragon tensed beneath him, ready to be free. Finn pulled out the final knot and rested a hand on her back. "All right big girl, you're-"

The dragon leaped out of the remaining bonds and roared. Too late, when she spread her wings and stretched out, Finn saw the crackling across her scales that only meant one thing. Her sparking wing smacked him in the chest, sending him flying backwards in a smoking heap. Finn gasped, clutching his chest in agony for nearly a minute before the blinding pain began to dim. He looked up in a dazed shock, blue eyes wide.

She stood nearby with her tail curved around her body, her head down in shame. She cooed at him, clearly expecting him to yell and punish her. Groaning, Finn rolled into a seating position. He pulled open his shirt to see little red blisters dotting his chest.

"Ow?" Finn frowned at the dragon. "You could've warned me."

The dragon mewled at him, tucking her head down between her paws. Despite the pain, Finn couldn't help but melt a little at how cute she was. If his dad was ever right about anything, it was that dragons weren't really evil creatures. She'd gotten so excited to be free that she'd gone overboard. She hadn't meant to hurt him at all. He could write a book about the shame written all over her face.

Finn slowly got to his feet, walking over to her as calmly as possible. He squatted down in front of her and carefully touched her snout. "Don't zap me next time, okay?" She gave him a happy coo and nearly knocked him flat when she jumped up and licked his face.

"Ick…" He wiped his face on his sleeve. Looking around the clearing, he wondered where Thornado had gotten to. He hadn't seen his friend in at least an hour. "Well… nice saving you, I guess. I've got to find my friend. I'll see you around."

Finn gave her a short wave before walking off, pushing through some bushes. He heard her questioning coo in the clearing, almost as if she was asking _No play?_

Marching through the trees, Finn wondered how far he'd have to walk before he found Thornado. His dragon could be quite reclusive when he wanted to be. It was no mystery that the old dragon was upset with him. He was usually an old grouchy guss anyway, but being forced to fly around the entire Archipelago on a pointless excursion probably annoyed him to no end. If Finn had to be somebody's travel service, he'd probably be annoyed too.

The pitter patter of feet behind him pulled him out of his thoughts and Finn looked over his shoulder. The vibrant blue and green dragon halted in her tracks and ducked behind a bush half her size. Finn snorted and shook his head, and marched on. A minute later he heard a loud crash and a dragoness grunt that would have Toothless chuckling.

"What are you doing?" Finn demanded, turning on his heel. He raised an eyebrow at the dragon shaking her head as she emerged from behind a tree. Apparently she'd run into it or something, possibly trying to dodge the unmoving bushes or surrounding tree trunks. "You're hopeless."

The dragon ran around him, her tongue lolling out of her mouth. Finn rolled his eyes and carried on, trying to ignore her as he called for his dragon.

At long last, the duo found the Thunderdrum gazing down at the ocean from a cliff, just as Finn had been doing a half hour before. Thornado turned at the sound of their arrival and promptly growled possessively at the young dragon.

"Hey now, it's okay Thornado. I just got her out of a trap is all. No need to be a cantankerous old man."

Thornado huffed in his face. He stepped over to the new dragon and they both sniffed around. If Finn didn't know dragons so well, he'd probably think their little introductory dance a bit strange, but he'd seen it a million times over by now. Within minutes, Thornado was sitting on the ground with a grumpy expression while the smaller, much younger dragon hopped around him with excited chirps.

Finn almost laughed. "Okay, okay! Man, you're a real bundle of energy aren't you? Do you have a pack?"

The dragon sat in front of him and moaned sadly. Finn frowned. Clearly she was alone and not very old… She nudged his shoulder and looked at him questioningly.

"No… I'm on my own too." Finn bit his lip. "Made some stupid choices. I've got no plans but I can't go home. I don't know…"

The more he thought about it, the more loneliness and shame surged back into his system. He didn't know what to do. He felt so terrible about what happened to Erick, wreaking havoc on the village… nearly giving himself up to a girl he barely knew. He wanted to make good choices; he wanted to do the right thing. But how do you do that when you don't have any direction? Did he have any hope of a good future alone in the world with only grumpy Thornado at his side? He wasn't sure he could. One thing for sure: his family would never accept him back. He didn't deserve to live there anymore.

A gentle wing tip lifted his chin, and he stared up at her in surprise. The blue dragon gave him a sad coo and rested her chin over his shoulder. Within seconds, Finn found himself wrapping his arms around her neck. He could feel the sliminess of her scales seep into his shirt but he didn't care. For the first time in a long, long time, he accepted the hug being offered. His eyes burned and he had to blink away tears.

The dragon finally stepped back and licked his forehead. Finn sniffed and gave her a sheepish smile. Then she did something he hadn't expected. Walking behind him, she grabbed the cuff of his shirt and pulled him backwards.

"Agh! Hey! What are you doing?" Finn flailed as she dragged him backwards. He grabbed one of her horns to keep from falling on his rear. "Let me go, what are you-"

Finn froze. The dragon released him and bumped him in the chest, nearly pushing him into Thornado. The Thunderdrum watched on, uninterested, but Finn got the clear message. Back on Berk, he'd seen it many times when young dragons would get into trouble, their mothers, even fathers at times, would grab them behind the neck and usher them back into the nest. His new friend seemed to be telling him the same thing as he stared into her eyes, unyielding but with a certain kindness and love that spoke the words that needed to be said:

_Go home._

"But…" Finn began. "But I can't. I've screwed up so much, they couldn't possibly allow me to come back!"

Thornado grumbled and the blue dragon gave him a look that said she wasn't buying the excuse. Finn stared at both dragons in confusion. He didn't know if his family, or the village, would allow him to come home for good… but he _could_ stop by to apologize. He could stay long enough to repent of his mistakes, give his family a proper farewell (if they allowed it), and then be on his merry way. Maybe he could spend his days traveling the various islands in the Archipelago, saving dragons as he went. Maybe one day he could settle down somewhere.

He swallowed, his heart pounding in anticipation. He thought about Benen once again and wondered what he would want him to do. The answer was clear within seconds. Benen would want him to admit his mistakes face to face with those he'd wronged. Benen would want him to go home.

Just like that, Finn had a plan. He felt like a single strand of humanity had rooted itself back to the ground, giving him something to stand on. He wasn't looking forward to it, oh no, he was _terrified_. He fully expected his father to throw him out within seconds of seeing his face. But he had to apologize. He had to _try_. On his way home he'd figure out a plan afterward. He'd make things work. If his payment for his crimes was a life of solitude, so be it. He certainly deserved it.

"You're amazing." Finn said as he hugged the beautiful dragon once again. "Thank you."

The dragon cooed in his ear, wrapping him up in her wings with all the love she could muster. At long last, Finn stepped back and climbed into Thornado's saddle. The sky was beginning to darken, which made him falter for only a moment. He wondered if he should set up camp and leave in the morning, but Thornado flapped his wings in anticipation. Apparently he was about as ready to go home as ever.

"Alright…" Finn turned to the female dragon a final time. "Thanks. Maybe I'll see you around, okay?"

The dragon gave him a single nod before turning and flapping away. Within seconds she was gone, disappearing in the darkening forest. He felt sad to see her go, but hoped that maybe one day they would see each other again.

"Okay Thornado," Finn sighed. "Enough of this nonsense. Let's go home."


	24. Guilty One

In his fifteen years of life, nothing could have prepared Finn for the task he had set for himself.

He tried his best to allow Thornado to fly at his own pace, but hours of nervousness and terror grated on his nerves. Finn twisted in his saddle, stared at the waves, counted the clouds, spotted familiar islands and landmarks to pass the time. Thornado growled in annoyance at his fidgety rider numerous times. But he couldn't help it. Never before had he dreaded something so much.

He spotted various landmarks and familiar islands as they passed by, his trepidation rising with every wing beat. His father would throw him out on sight; Adrianna would probably break his nose for daring to set foot on the island. The council would grab their swords and torches and prepare to burn him at the stake. His father was a creative man at heart so there was no telling what the punishment would be for Berk's ex-heir. He had to be ready to make a run for it, no matter how tired Thornado would be.

At dusk, the Thunderdrum grumbled at him as if to say " _stop muttering under your breath kid, you're driving me nuts!_ "

Finn sighed and leaned his head against his friend's scales. "I can't, buddy."

When they passed Brawn, Finn felt his stomach twist into knots. He tried not to think about the stupid mistakes he'd made down there. He vaguely wondered, had Raine really cared about him as a person, if he'd still be there now, hanging out with her. But instead of him, he wondered if now she spent her time with another young man. He faced forward, staring at the darkening horizon, and forced all thoughts of Raine out of his mind.

It was another two hours' flight from Brawn, but at long last a familiar island began to take shape in the darkness. Two massive braziers flamed in the ocean as Berk loomed in the twilight. Seeing his home again, Finn quivered in his saddle. He didn't see many patrols in the streets as they flew overhead, which was good. That meant his dad had gotten full control of the gang and many of the guards could get some rest. They deserved it. Finn felt another pang of guilt. How many husbands and fathers, even some wives and mothers, had been kept away from their families night after countless night because of his stupidity?

Finn directed Thornado over the village and across the massive bridge that separated most of Berk's population from his family. He never thought too much about how far away his family's home was to the village. He supposed his parents chose this area for the peace and quiet. It was kind of nice to have that tranquility away from everyone else, but in the midst of a tragedy (mainly caused by him) it had to be a pain in the rear for his parents.

Thornado landed softly near the barn. Finn slid off, his knees nearly buckling, either from sitting in a saddle for hours straight or out of fear, he wasn't sure. From the dining room window he could see a single candle flickering, sending shadows dancing across the inner walls. That either meant they'd forgotten to blow the candle out before going to bed or someone was still awake. He wasn't sure which set his nerves on edge more.

Keeping a wary eye on the house, Finn jimmied the barn lock open and let Thornado slip inside. The large blue dragon flopped into his pen with a contented sigh. The poor guy was clearly exhausted. Finn suddenly realized if he was about to be thrown out, either now or in the morning, if Thornado was too exhausted or unwilling to fly… maybe his father would allow him to take a tiny skiff or something. A final parting gift for his wayward son? Unlikely. This plan was going _so_ smoothly.

Lily raised her head from her own pen and sniffed at him, her tail thumping softly against the hay.

"Shh…" Finn whispered. "Quiet, Lily."

The Monstrous Nightmare huffed as if to say " _Well, nice to see you too_ " and dropped her head back onto the hay.

Finn faced the house with an audible gulp. Should he sit on the porch and wait all night until everyone woke up? Should he step inside, hope everyone was asleep and wait at the table? Should he crash in the barn loft and wake up at the crack of dawn?

He found himself tiptoeing up the stairs without further thought. He just wanted to get it over with, despite how much his legs trembled and his throat began to clench with unheard cries. If nobody answered the door, he'd wait until morning. He fully expected to be pushed away. He just wanted to spit out his heartfelt apology and leave as fast as he could.

His fist rose and hovered at the door. He realized he'd never knocked on his own door before. He was an outcast, a rebel, a fiend even in the home that he'd been raised in. Worst of all, he'd done this to himself. He deserved to be alone, desolate, unloved.

Finally, Finn rapped his knuckles against the hard wood three times. The sound echoed inside, not loud but enough to be heard by anyone still awake. Finn stood there breathlessly. No sounds came from the interior. He felt his heart pounding in his chest with every second.

After what seemed like forever, Finn stepped back, resolving to wait out the rest of the night on the porch, when the door swung open. Candlelight filtered onto the porch and Finn froze.

He nearly gasped at the sight of his father standing in the dim doorway. Even in the muted light, details began to stand out: dark circles under his eyes, scruff covering his jaw, the right side of his body angled as if to protect his left leg from extra weight. He'd never seen his father look so terrible before.

The chief's eyes widened. "Finn?" Hiccup asked, almost hopefully.

Finn swallowed hard and lowered his head. "Dad, I'm-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence. In a flash, Hiccup lunged forward and Finn jerked, waiting for the punch, the hit, the anger to come flooding out and dish out to him every insult and curse he deserved.

But instead, two strong arms yanked him forward, nearly crushing him into his father's chest. Finn stumbled, but Hiccup held him firm, unwilling to let him go as if his life depended on it.

"Finn!" Hiccup cried, his voice cracking in his ear. "You're back! I thought we lost you!"

Finn felt his eyes sting as he pulled his arms around his dad. Hiccup pulled him closer, wrapping a hand around his son's neck and nearly sobbing. The teenager had never heard his father sound so broken before. His heart clenched as he remembered that it was his doing. What had he _done_ to this poor man?

"Dad, I'm _so_ sorry!" Finn cried, tears flowing. "I'm so, so sorry!"

Hiccup sniffled. "I know, son. I know."

Finn shook his head. "You should be sending me away-"

"No!" Hiccup's head shot up. He held Finn's face in his hands. "No. That wouldn't fix anything. If you remember nothing else I say, remember this: I love you, Finn. You're my son. Don't you _ever_ leave me again."

In his father's tearful green eyes, Finn saw all the pain and anguish he'd caused. But more than that, he saw the unmerited, unadulterated love a father had for his son.

Finn closed his eyes and nodded, tears streaking down his face and a sob forcing its way out of his throat. Hiccup pulled him close again and kissed his temple.

"It's okay. One day at a time, we're going to fix this." Hiccup promised. "It might take time and it might be hard, but one day it's going to be worth everything. You'll see."

Finn shook his head, memories surging forward of all the horrific things he'd done in the last weeks. He didn't deserve forgiveness. His father might forgive him, but what of the rest of the village? What about Erick? What about his sister?

"Dad-"

Light footfalls from inside the house interrupted him. "Finn?"

He looked up from his dad's shoulder to see his mother nearly running across the living room. Finn barely had time to extract himself from Hiccup's grip before Astrid tackled him in a hug.

"Don't you ever do that again, Fearless Finn!" she wailed when she finally let him go, smacking his chest with every word.

She immediately crushed him in another hug, babbling incoherently about how worried she'd been and foolish he'd been and how grounded he was for scaring her to death. Finn almost cracked a smile, knowing which comments were serious and which weren't. He hugged her tightly, apologizing over and over again at sending the faulty message.

"I changed my mind," Finn sniffed, finally stepping back to wipe his face.

Hiccup ushered all three of them inside and closed the door. Within seconds, Toothless had Finn's face covered in slobber from dragon kisses.

"Agh… Toothleeeeeess!" Finn hissed, trying to be as quiet as possible. He pushed the dragon's nose away but still gave him a hug. "I missed you too, ya big lug."

Toothless promptly slapped him in the face with his prosthetic before curling up on his stone bed nearby. Astrid pulled Finn toward the couch and gestured for him to sit down. She smoothed his hair down as Hiccup sat down on his other side.

"Where did you go?" Astrid asked.

"Johann and Kara told us you were on Brawn." Hiccup said.

Finn swallowed, not meeting their eyes. "I… I was only there for a few days."

"Why did you leave?" Hiccup asked. "Johann said you were really… distressed."

 _More like depressed_ , Finn thought cynically. He stared at his knees in dread, unsure how to respond. "I was stupid."

"What do you mean?" Astrid asked gently.

Finn's eyes burned. He could still see her smile, feel her kiss, even though those things meant nothing. It was all for naught and he'd fallen right into it. He sniffed, wishing he could disappear with the couch. How could he admit this to his parents?

"I… um…"

"Finn, you can tell us anything," Hiccup said softly, resting a hand on his back. "We've all made mistakes."

"Not like this," Finn cried. Astrid rubbed his arm soothingly and waited. "I… met a girl."

His tone was light, but Finn felt his father stiffen beside him when he replied, "Okay?"

"S-she worked in the village tavern and we talked for the few days I was there." Finn said, the story suddenly coming out once he began. "Then one night, she…"

"Finn." Finn looked up at his dad tearfully. His father's gaze was firm, unwavering, but still full of love. "Did you sleep with her?"

Finn gulped. "Y-yes and no? W-we started to… do all that but she stopped me. I still stayed the night and I _hated_ myself the next morning, but I wanted it so badly at the time-"

"Finn, slow down, baby," Astrid said soothingly. Finn rubbed his face with a hand. His dad's hand firmly held his shoulder. "What happened?"

"I as good as did it." Finn buried his face in his hands. "I wanted to and we were close and sh-she saw _everything_."

"Why did she stop you? Did she want it?" Hiccup asked, his voice clearly masking worry.

"Yeah, at first," Finn sniffed. "But I… I guess I started crying halfway through and she… didn't think it was a good idea."

Hiccup cleared his throat. "She was a tavern worker? That's it?"

"She wasn't prostitute, if that's what you mean." Finn mumbled.

Astrid eyed him warily. "You didn't ask her that in so many words, did you?"

Finn blushed. "Yes."

Hiccup rubbed his forehead. "Buddy-"

"I know, it was insensitive, but I got freaked out!" Finn exclaimed. "She knew I was the heir to Berk, what if-"

"No." Hiccup stopped him in his tracks with a gentle voice. "Let's not think about the 'what ifs'. What you did was wrong, yes, but calling her a prostitute was pretty harsh. Some people have looser standards, but that doesn't mean they do it for money. Accusing someone of that is very insulting."

"You should send her a message and apologize," Astrid amended.

Finn frowned. "What difference would it make? She didn't even like me."

"She must have a little bit." Hiccup said. "But regardless of her feelings at the beginning, she didn't deserve that. You need to make that right."

Finn sighed and nodded. "Okay."

"Still... I think you did the right thing." Hiccup squeezed his shoulder.

"What?" Finn gaped at him. "But I almost had sex, I was _naked_ , I was all ready to-"

"She said stop." Hiccup interrupted coolly. "And you stopped. I know how hard that can be, especially at your age. I'm glad that you had enough respect for her to stop when she told you to."

"I shouldn't have been in that position." Finn grasped his hair with his fists. "I made a _huge_ mistake and I've never felt so dirty."

There was a long pause as Finn took several deep breaths, trying to slow his heart rate. If he kept this up, he'd probably pass out. Astrid kissed his head and ran her fingers through his hair. He felt himself calming down at the touch.

"Do you need to go to bed?" Astrid whispered in his ear. "You don't have to tell us everything tonight."

"I need to." Finn wiped his face. "I have to tell someone. I have to talk to someone. If... if you're okay listening."

"Of course we are." Hiccup leaned down so that Finn could see him in his peripheral vision. "Let it out, Finn. We _want_ to talk to you."

"No, what I did... after..." Finn shook his head. "I just ran off l-like a coward and I w-went to Maero."

He felt both his parents stiffen next to him in response. His shoulders shook with emotion as he recounted the whole story, how he had looked at the place where he and Benen had slept as slaves, the carvings on the walls, Ratri finding him there. He trembled as he remembered the anger, the _hatred_ , that had coursed through him as he choked the man from his nightmares. And then the change of heart, simply borne out of the memories of his best friend.

"I would have killed him." Finn finished, his voice filling the silent room. "I wanted to. It would have been easy."

"But you didn't." Hiccup reminded him. "You let him go."

"Only because of Benen!" Finn turned to his father, his face twisting with pain. "Without him, I'm a _monster_! Everything I've done, all the progress I've made, it's not me. It's him!"

"Oh Finn..." Astrid leaned down and put her forehead against his, wiping his tears with her thumbs. "You're not a monster. _You_ made the choice to let Ratri go. _You_ chose to forgive him."

"But I _didn't_ forgive him!" Finn shook his head. "I don't know if I _can_ forgive him."

"You don't have to right now." Astrid kissed his forehead. "You did the right thing. And I'm _so_ proud of you. That shows real character."

"No, it shows that I listened to Benen." Finn sniffled loudly. "He was the real hero. He forgave Ratri and he told me to and I never listened. I'm _nothing_ without him."

"Finn," Hiccup paused, apparently considering his words for a moment, "Benen wasn't perfect. He made mistakes just like you did."

"Not like me." Finn turned to his father and wiped his eyes. "He would never have done what I did."

"Except that he did." Astrid said calmly. Finn whipped his head around to face her. "He just didn't tell you."

Finn's heart began to pound so hard that it echoed in his head. _Benen_ make the same mistakes? _Benen_ let lust and hatred consume him? The thought was almost laughable.

"You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"No." Hiccup patted Finn's shoulder. "We're saying it because it's true. He told us because he wanted you to know one day."

"Why wouldn't he tell me?" Finn looked between his parents, his eyes wide.

"You were young." Astrid replied. "He didn't want to ruin your image of him before you were old enough to understand why he did what he did."

Finn audibly swallowed. "What did he do?"

"Not long before he died, he approached us..."

_It had almost been a good day. Inga was awake, Hiccup and Astrid had witnessed Finn's first awkward kiss with Helga, and the village was beginning to slowly heal from the plague that had struck mere days before. But as Finn and Helga walked together to the Great Hall, Hiccup and Astrid were walking with Benen to the forge, wondering why he had asked to speak with them in private. Once they were seated, Benen took a deep breath._

" _Finn... he's so much like me." Benen began, a small smile on his lips. "Stubborn as a mule. Insistent on getting his way. I used to drive my parents crazy with my energy and mischief with my big sister. You wouldn't think it to see me now but I was quite the troublemaker."_

" _I can believe it." Hiccup grinned. "And if Finn turns out as well as you did, I'll be very thankful indeed."_

" _Oh... I hope he doesn't." Benen sighed wistfully. "See, that all changed in an instant. I had started reigning in my stubbornness when I was with Aida. She liked that I had spirit but we got into many an argument over my stupidity. She was so calm, so compassionate, every bit as mature and controlled as I was immature and wild. We really did balance each other out perfectly."_

_Astrid reached forward and put her hand on top of his. Benen gave her a slight nod in thanks as he continued his story._

" _My village was raided. So many people died, others taken as slaves. I know Aida managed to escape but I wasn't so lucky. I remember being taken into the deepest part of the ship with some of my people. For years, the sounds of the children crying for their parents haunted me. I was sold at the first place we went to a farmer and his family. The work was hard and he beat me so many times when my rebellious streak would come out. It wasn't long before I was downtrodden. I was the only slave there so I became lonely and desperate for attention or even a kind word." Benen shook his head, as if to ward off residual emotion. "I worked there for a long time. And after a while, after I had become a shell of the person I had become, the farmer's daughter, a teenager by that point, started asking me to do her favors. I think she had a bit of a crush on me, to be honest. I was... well, I was much more handsome back then than now."_

_Hiccup had a feeling that he knew where this story was going. He almost didn't want Benen to continue. He wanted to think of Benen as a wise man, a good example for Finn and the rest of the young people in the village. But the look on Benen's face... this was clearly a mistake that caused him great emotional agony._

" _We got to talking. She was so kind, I... I lost myself. I started sneaking off with her to talk at night time. Almost every night, if she could get away from her parents without being seen. And it started as just talking. But then... one night..." Benen closed his eyes, apparently ashamed to see the looks on Hiccup and Astrid's face. "She kissed me. And I was so very lonely, in so much pain, so desperate for love that I didn't even think. I just let lust take over and I... we..."_

" _Oh Benen, you didn't." Astrid breathed, her hand tightening over his._

" _Not a day goes by that I don't regret it. She was barely fifteen years old and I was in my twenties. I took advantage of her and it was filthy and wrong." Benen finally opened his eyes and looked at Hiccup and Astrid. "I hope you'll forgive me."_

" _It was a long time ago." Astrid said, keeping her voice low so that passersby wouldn't hear. "It would be cruel to treat you badly just because you made a mistake and regretted it all these years."_

" _Thank you." Benen looked like he was going to cry with gratitude. "But I'm not finished. We sneaked out for a few months and managed to keep it a secret. She was talking about freeing me so we could get married when she came of age. Then one day, she came to me, crying her eyes out, telling me she was pregnant."_

" _You have a child?" Hiccup blurted out without thinking. He felt heat rise to his face as he leaned in and lowered his voice, hoping no one had heard his outburst. "Sorry but... why didn't you ever mention it?"_

" _Shame, I suppose. We tried to hide it for a while but the truth came out soon enough. Her father was furious. He gave me the worst beating of my life then forced me to work around the clock. I almost died from exhaustion. As for his daughter, he forced her to give the baby away, told her she was too young to be a mother. She begged him not to but she couldn't change his mind." Benen wiped his face; the memory was clearly still painful. "She had a little girl. I remember standing by the house and hearing my baby crying, wanting so much to be there and to hold her. I never... I never even saw her."_

_Hiccup felt his heart constrict painfully. He couldn't imagine never seeing his children, never knowing the kind of people they would become. His own daughter brought him so much joy, how painful must it have been to miss out on every single memory, to never have gazed into her eyes and felt that rush of love that only a parent could possibly understand? To live his entire life wondering what she looked like, never knowing all of her little quirks. The mere thought made him want to cry but he shoved his emotions down so that Benen could express his._

" _I'm so sorry." he whispered after it had been quiet for a long while._

" _Why didn't you try to find her?" Astrid asked, her voice sounding slightly choked._

" _I don't know her name. How could I track her down when I don't have the slightest idea where she went or what she looks like? She probably doesn't even know her mother's name." Benen shook his head. "She's a grown woman by now, probably has her own family. I can only hope she was happy, that she had her mother's good looks and compassion instead of my immaturity and foolishness."_

" _What was her mother's name?" Astrid asked. "Maybe we can find her."_

" _Camille. But she died a few years ago. I found out when I overheard a conversation about her while I was working for Ratri. I don't know any more than that." Benen sniffed, accepting the handkerchief that Astrid handed him. "I hope she was happy. I hope I didn't ruin her life just because I couldn't control myself. Wouldn't control myself, more like. But I'm telling you this because I'm worried about Finn. He's so much like I was and I don't ever want him to... to go through that."_

_Hiccup tensed. "Do you really think he's at risk?"_

" _I'm not sure. Certainly not right now. But given enough sadness and pain, I fear he could be pushed in that direction. The desire to bend and break the rules is strong when you have no guidance." Benen's voice broke and he covered his face with his hand. "I'm sorry, I just... I don't fear death. And I'm at peace with my life as it was. I've made a difference and that was all I ever wanted. But I am concerned for Finn. I want to see the man he'll become and I know I won't get that chance."_

" _Come here." Astrid sat down next to him and hugged him from the side. "I know you didn't get to be there for your little girl. And I'm so sorry about that. But what you've done for our family, for all four of us, that's not going to be forgotten."_

" _Tell him." Benen wiped his face and looked directly at Hiccup. "Tell him what I did, the pain it caused me even now. Tell him that there's always a second chance, an opportunity to turn away from his mistakes and make the right choices. Tell Anna too."_

" _We will." Hiccup promised. "When they're old enough."_

" _One more thing: I don't want Finn thinking that I was only there for him to make up for not being there for my daughter. I was there because he needed someone. And I have been honored to be that someone." Benen smiled through his tears._

" _Thank you, Benen." Hiccup stood up and waited for Benen to stand up before embracing him. "You're not going to be forgotten."_

" _I pray not." Benen tittered. "Now we should probably get to the Great Hall and keep an eye on that boy before he decides to sneak off and practice his kissing techniques."_

_Hiccup and Astrid laughed. "That we should." Hiccup said, leading them out of the forge._

Finn sat in stunned silence, staring at his dad long after he'd finished the story.

"You're not the only one who's messed up in that area." Astrid said softly. "In fact, some have run the whole nine miles."

Finn stared at the floorboards. "I never would've thought Benen would do something like that."

"He was young and lonely and when Camille showed him kindness, he took advantage of it," Hiccup said. "When you've hit rock bottom, it's hard to control your desires and emotions. Wouldn't you say?"

Finn nodded solemnly.

"Benen always saw something in you that he not only admired, but also wanted to protect. He didn't want you to fall into the same traps of life that he did. That's why he told us about it."

Finn sniffed. "And I still threw it in his face. In _your_ faces."

Hiccup squeezed his shoulder. "We were kids once too, Finn. We all had to learn things the hard way sometimes. And, bear this in mind, we haven't lived life before. This is all new to us too, we're still learning as time goes on. There's not manual of life that tells us what choices to make, which streets to turn down. How boring would life be if that's how it worked?"

"We might make less stupid mistakes." Finn mumbled.

Hiccup leaned forward so their eyes met. "But then we wouldn't have some of the greatest gifts people can have, like creativity, ingenuity, leadership. If everything was set in stone to work one way, everyone took the same path until they died… It would be dull. Pointless. No lessons to be learned."

Finn nodded. He understood now. "But… now what?"

Astrid exhaled through her nose, sitting back on the cushions. "What do you think we should do?"

Finn thought. "I… I need to apologize to people. Lots and lots of people. But most importantly… Erick." He gulped. "I-If he's even woken up yet."

Hiccup nodded. "He's woken up a few times."

"Is he okay?" Finn asked hopefully.

"I think he'll pull through." Hiccup said calmly. "He's still got a long road to recovery. We'll fit him with a prosthetic and he'll learn how to walk again as I did. Day by day, we'll get through it."

Finn's chest hurt, his stomach twisted in uncomfortable knots. His head pounded from a headache. He felt disgusting from his long day of non-stop flying and stressing over the outcome. He never expected his parents to sit him down in the living room and let him air out all his problems, all of which he'd caused. Looking at them both however, he only saw love. Maybe some sadness and definitely fatigue, but in their eyes he saw hope. He'd come home after all and together they'd change things.

Hiccup stifled a yawn. "We should all get to bed."

"Oh!" Astrid sat up straight all of a sudden. "Wait a second!" She stood and nearly ran into the kitchen, rummaging around the washtub. Finn watched her curiously as she snatched something off the counter and walked back over to him.

Sitting down, she picked up his hand and dropped an item with a long leather strap into his open palm. He stared down at Benen's wooden necklace with the word _Fortis_ carved into the top.

"This is yours." Astrid smiled.

Finn shook his head. "I don't deserve this. I tainted every memory I have of him."

"No, you made poor choices and there's a lot of cleanup to do." Astrid said firmly, picking up the necklace. "But from this day forward, we're going to learn what true strength really means. As a team." She looped the necklace over his head and beamed.

Finn stared down at the necklace nestled against his chest once again. His eyes brimmed at the comfort. He hadn't realized just how empty he felt without it. Leaning forward, he hugged his mom tightly.

"Thanks, mom."

"Of course."

A soft snore interrupted their touching moment. Finn turned and flicked his father's arm. Hiccup jerked.

"What? Oh. Yeah Fortis. Teamwork. Yay."

Finn snickered as Hiccup fell back across the couch, rubbing his eyes. "Go to bed, dad."

"Mmph." Hiccup murmured before his head slumped to one side.

Finn whistled. "Wow. I've never seen him fall asleep that fast before."

"He hasn't slept much the last week." Astrid murmured. Finn instantly felt guilty. "It wasn't just you. He was worried about Erick."

"Is he really okay?" Finn asked.

"Yes. The first few days were very hard, but since the first time he woke up, he's improved significantly." Astrid said, watching in slight amusement as Finn yawned long and hard. "Go to bed, Finn. New day tomorrow. Do you want some water or anything?"

"Sure."

Astrid nodded and bustled into the kitchen. A minute later she returned with a tall glass of water and froze at the edge of the couch. A small, happy smile wormed its way onto her face. Finn had apparently laid his head back on the couch and slumped to the side so most of his upper half was completely leaning against Hiccup for support. The sight nearly made her tear up because it was both adorable and encouraging. Both her boys were beyond exhausted, so much that they didn't even notice the current state of their slumber. But that was trivial.

Finn was home, repentant, ready, and willing to make changes. It had been a long, hard road, and it was only going to get bumpier as time went on, but the turmoil would be worth it in the end. They would teach their Fearless Finn the meaning of true strength. Benen's legacy would not be shredded to a pulp so easily.

* * *

Another nightmare-less night. Adrianna was very thankful for this when she woke up to the morning glow cascading through her curtains. Erick's accident and resulting injury had triggered some serious nightmares. However, it seemed that the day he woke up and he gradually regained some strength, the nightmares went away. She found this rather strange, since they almost never went away so quickly, but she didn't dare question it. She was thankful. End of story.

Crawling out of bed, she did her best to tame her hair and found a clean outfit to wear. Frost covered most of her window, so she knew to wear a long-sleeved wool shirt and extra thick leggings today. As she dressed, her eyes glanced around her messy bedroom and realized she'd have to clean this mess up soon. Her dresser was getting emptier and emptier by the day. Soon enough she'd run out of clothes!

At long last, she deemed herself presentable enough to be seen in public. Book in hand, Adrianna tromped down the stairs, eager for breakfast. She saw her mother bustling through the kitchen, eggs and bacon frying over the open fire and biscuits in their stove oven. Her stomach rumbled loudly, earning a smile from her mother.

"Sorry, I'm starving." Adrianna said.

"Good morning, starving, I'm Astrid!"

Adrianna raised an eyebrow. "You're certainly cheerful this morning. What-"

"Sh." Astrid gestured toward the couch with her knife before checking the biscuits.

Adrianna looked across the room in surprise. Sprawled along the couch were her father and Finn, who'd apparently returned from his excursions during the night. Her twin was completely sprawled out, face buried against their father's waist. The chief himself would probably be experiencing some back and neck pain when he woke up due to his half-slumped position against the arm rest.

"What time did he get in?" Adrianna asked in disgust.

"Almost two. Your father was still awake."

"And you let him stay?"

Astrid frowned at her. "Adri, he's our son. He's sorry for everything that's happened."

"Sorry or not, he still nearly killed Erick," Adrianna said as she took a seat at the table. "Something has to be done."

"And something _will_ be done." Astrid reassured her. "Finn doesn't apologize for things often but when he recognizes his mistakes, he does what's needed to make it right. I doubt we'll have any problems."

"Yeah, I'm _sure-_ "

"Adri, that's enough." Astrid said sternly, pulling out the biscuits. "You've made your opinion known. Let's drop it."

Adrianna leaned against her hand in annoyance. She knew she should drop it, but anger still kindled in her chest. She wanted steep repercussions on the boy who nearly took her best friend away forever. She stared at his slack face from across the room, but gradually she felt her heart soften ever so slightly. The sight of her dad and brother sacked out on the couch really was kind of cute, she had to admit.

"Food's ready."

"Great!" Adrianna jumped up and filled a plate. When she returned to her seat and began wolfing down her food, she vaguely realized that she should probably learn how to cook someday. If she ever wanted to have a home and family of her own, she'd certainly need to feed them! Though it would be great if her future husband could cook as well, seeing as she was currently the future chieftess and all. Her hopefully hubbie would have to be able to juggle roles, she supposed.

With those happy thoughts, she continued to munch her bacon, though with less excitement. Her mother sat beside her and began buttering a biscuit, but her swift mood change was not lost on the older woman.

"Okay?"

"Mhm," Adrianna mumbled. "Just thinking about chief stuff."

"Oh." Astrid nodded. "Pass the jam, please." Adrianna passed the jar and waited for her mother's response, which didn't come until after the biscuit was completely covered. "Your dad and I have talked about that. We're not happy with how it's turned out because that's never been the plan. But maybe Finn will redeem himself after all and you won't have to be chief in the end."

Adrianna poked at her eggs. "Maybe."

Astrid nudged her with an elbow. "Don't be so glum. Your father never wanted to be chief either and look how well it's turned out."

"Yeah, but he was born for it. That's always been Finn's thing."

"You don't know that. Maybe Finn was meant to lead a simple life and you lead our people into the future."

"Great pep talk, mom, but no," Adrianna smirked. "Finn cooking meals and washing laundry all day? No."

"Hey, I'm a great cook!"

The ladies looked to the couches where Finn was sitting up, rubbing his face. He still looked really tired and when their eyes met, Adrianna saw sadness and guilt flash across his face. He looked at the floor.

Adrianna swallowed her initial snide remarks. After a few silent comments, she managed, "You always did make a mean apple pie, Finnigan."

Finn looked up at her with a hopeful expression, but shrugged, "I just follow the recipe."

"Must take a lot of strength to trust in someone else's instructions," Adrianna commented. "Rather than doing your own thing."

Astrid gave her a look. "Adrianna-"

"It's fine, mom." Finn said softly. "I deserve whatever she has to say."

"That doesn't mean we need to live in animosity and bitterness for the next two years." Astrid said calmly. "If we're to make changes around here, we need to work together as a team."

"We never were good at teamwork." Adrianna said.

"Then we best start learning."

Finn stared at the floorboards, ignoring her gaze. She could tell he was deeply sorry for what happened. But like everything in her life, she had realistic expectations. "Prove to me that you've changed. Then maybe I can forgive you."

Finn nodded quietly from his seat. Then Hiccup stirred, groaning and slowly sitting up.

"Owwwwwwwww… Astriiiiiiiiiid-"

"Ah ah, do not blame me for falling asleep on the couch. I've warned you about that." Astrid smirked at the stink eye he was giving her.

"Women." Finn stifled a smile beside their dad. Hiccup stretched and slapped Finn on the shoulder. "I smell bacon."

Finn nodded, but strangely he didn't jump up to fill a plate. Finn never passed up bacon. He never passed up food _period_. Food was Fearless Finn's first love… and somehow he seemed disinterested? He looked a little pale and weak, she realized. She wondered if he'd eaten much on his trip.

Shaking out of her trance, Adrianna grabbed her dishes and dumped them in the wash bin. "I'm going to check on Erick."

"I just woke up, you're leaving already?" Hiccup whined.

"A girl's got stuff to do, places to go, people to see," Adrianna smiled sympathetically.

"Boyfriends to catch up with," Astrid chimed.

"Huh?" Adrianna asked, pulling on her coat and boots. "I talked to Brandyn yesterday."

"For about two minutes, Addie." Hiccup said through a yawn. "You need to give him some attention."

"But Erick-"

"Is _fine_ ," Hiccup said firmly. She didn't miss the way Finn ducked his head and Hiccup squeezed his shoulder. "I won't tell you what to do, and I don't blame you for spending time with Erick. But if your mom had a guy friend who got hurt when we were dating and she continually blew me off for a week straight to spend time with him, I wouldn't be too happy either."

"I think spending time with my ailing friend is more important than a lengthy conversation in the Great Hall or a workout session that's only going to make me sweat like a wild hog." Adrianna remarked flatly. Finn smirked but didn't comment.

"Addie, boys think differently than girls-"

"Yes, I'm well aware of the strange male mind."

"My _point_ is that when a guy sees his girl continually choosing another boy over him, he's going to get upset in some way." Hiccup amended. "That's all I'm saying."

Adrianna sighed. "I just don't want anything to happen when I'm not there."

Her father gave her a small smile. "Mara's got him well taken care of. Trust me."

"Alright, I'll try to do something with him today."

"Keep your coat on, it's going to be cold today."

"How do you know?" Adrianna asked. "Are you a weather man?"

Hiccup snorted. "Weather man. If only such a thing existed. No," He patted his left leg. "I can feel it."

"Oh. Okay." Adrianna nodded and opened the door. "Guess I'll see you guys later then."

She stepped out into the cold, quickly closing the door behind her. The frosty grass crunched beneath her feet, the early signs of winter scattered across the ground. The barn door locks froze her fingertips but she finally managed to undo it and step inside.

Lily greeted her from her pen, stretching her neck and legs. "Hey there, beauty. How's my girl?" Lily nuzzled her face, accepting all the hugs and kisses she could. "Let's saddle up; we've got a lot to do today."

Within ten minutes, she'd fed her purple flying lizard and they were in the air, soaring toward the village. Lily enjoyed the chilly air, using her fiery scales to keep Adrianna from freezing. The teenager found it quite nice feature, until Lily sometimes lost control and started to burn her leggings. Thankfully that hadn't happened in quite some time.

Landing in front of the healer's, Adrianna slipped off and told Lily to find someone to play with. She pushed the door open, took off her coat, and peeked into Erick's room. He was already sitting up in his bed, a stack of books at his bedside table. His good knee was drawn up, creating a tent in the blankets over his injured leg, but she could see him concentrating on something in front of him.

"Watcha doin', blondie?"

Erick jerked, then winced in pain. "Ow."

"Sorry…" Adrianna whispered.

"S'okay, I just didn't hear you." Erick held up his hands, which held a cord of leather with beads strung through the braids. A small pile of colorful beads rested in a bowl on his stomach. "I usually hate beading but…" he shrugged. "It passes the time."

"It's pretty," Adrianna said in admiration. "You're really good at that."

Erick shrugged. "Simple leather work. This is what Horst first taught me to test my skills and patience."

"You always did have a lot of patience."

He snorted, setting the half-done item aside. "Beading is right up there at my limit."

Adrianna laughed, setting her book down on top of his stack. She watched his eyes drift over to the book and then light up in recognition. He gave her a crooked smile.

"I see you're enjoying it."

"Yes! This is actually the third time I've read it…" She made a sheepish face. "I need a new book. I suppose I'll have to move on with my life once it's over, but-" Adrianna stopped, finally noticing Erick's dimpled grin. "Wait. You gave it to me?"

Erick laughed. "Yeahhhhh, a little birdie told me you wanted the next book. Imagine my good fortune when I saw it on Johann's ship last time he was here."

"But that was… back in May!"

"Yup."

"You held onto it for that long?" Adrianna asked. She sobered. "Why did you even get me a gift? I wasn't talking to you."

"I wasn't really talking to you either. It was a two-way street, Annie." Erick said. "I don't know. Deep down, we were still friends. Just… a lot of stuff got in the way."

"A lot of important stuff."

"That's not more important than our friendship." Erick's face suddenly tinged pink, as if he were embarrassed. "Right?"

Adrianna smiled. "No. I suppose not."

Erick bit his lip. "Yeah. So I saw it and traded him some stuff for it. I was really excited, I was actually on my way to give it to you when I remembered that we weren't friends anymore. That was awkward. Habit must've kicked in. But then I decided hey, might as well wait for your birthday. My only regret was that I didn't get to see you op- ow. Ow." His face suddenly tightened in pain. He bit his lip and Adrianna noticed his hand gripping the sheets.

"What? Are you okay?" Adrianna jumped up. "Should I get Mara?"

"No, no…" Erick waved her off, covering his forehead. "It'll pass. Just… stay."

Adrianna stood there for a few minutes, watching and waiting nervously. She saw sweat bead on his forehead after a few minutes and she really wondered if she should ignore him and get Mara anyway. But finally he let out a shaky breath and adjusted his sitting position.

"Sorry…" He said shakily. "Your dad wasn't kidding when he said you can feel storms coming."

"Oh." Adrianna said in shock. "He mentioned that earlier."

Erick wiped his forehead on his sleeve. "It started hurting a few hours ago. That's why I'm awake."

Adrianna thought about that. Usually when she came in the mornings, he didn't wake up for a few hours after. This was the first morning she'd seen him awake before she arrived.

"I'm sorry. Do you need medicine or anything?"

"If it gets too much to handle, then I'm supposed to tell Mara. She said I need to get used to it the pain though, as opposed to pain killers."

"Makes sense. My dad almost never takes medicinal teas or herbs."

"He's got a high pain tolerance though." Erick said. "Not everyone's like that."

"True."

A soft knock on the wall drew their attention to the curtain, where Brandyn was standing. Neither teen had heard him come in.

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah, Brandyn," Erick smiled, waving him in.

"How're you feeling?" Brandyn asked as he stepped in and rested his hands on Adrianna's shoulders.

Adrianna saw a flicker of something in Erick's eyes, but it disappeared just as quickly. She might have imagined it, but it almost looked like… jealousy.

"Better. Mostly." Erick sighed, staring at his leg still buried under the blankets. "If all goes well, I'll have a prosthetic by the end of next week and I can start walking." He gulped.

"It'll be fine. One step at a time."

Erick frowned. "That was a _terrible_ joke, Annie."

She shrugged indifferently, Brandyn's hands jumping with them. "Don't be so sensitive."

"Wow, two for two." Erick shook his head.

Brandyn rolled his eyes. "Weirdos. Anyway, I was wondering if I could talk to you for sec, if that's okay?"

Adrianna looked up at him, directly into his eyes. He had to look straight down to see her. She felt a rush of warmth in her stomach. His eyes were warm as always, but she could see some lingering sadness there. He missed her. She remembered her parents' advice and instantly felt guilty.

She looked back at Erick. "You don't mind, do you?"

"No, of course not!" Erick waved them off with a smile. That weird look was back in his eye though. "Go enjoy the fresh air for me."

"It's cold, you wouldn't like it." Brandyn said, taking Adrianna's hand as she stood.

Erick cocked his head. "Why's that?"

Brandyn shrugged. "Hot air?"

The air turned icy when Erick's eyes narrowed and Adrianna suddenly found herself in the middle of a stand-off. Worst of all, she didn't know what the problem was. Clearly they had issues with each other. What was it?

"Aaaaaalright then, I'll come see you in a bit, okay?" Adrianna broke the silence, gently pushing Brandyn back toward the curtain.

"Don't forget your book." Erick said, an undertone of ice still in his voice.

"Oh where we're going, we won't need books." Brandyn said, nearly pulling her out of the room.

The last thing she heard before the curtain swung shut was Erick's snide remark: "Bummer. I guess she'll have to come back and see me then."


	25. Road to Redemption

"Brandyn, slow down!" Adrianna yelped, dodging a crate at the entry of an alley. "What's the hurry?"

Brandyn grinned impishly at her over his shoulder. "I want to escape with you now before some man swoops in and takes you away!"

"Oh yes, because I have a history of men swooping in and taking me away," Adrianna snarked.

"Hey, one can't be too careful."

Adrianna snorted. "Too careful makes a boring life."

Brandyn glanced back at her with a disbelieving look.

"What?"

"So says the girl that doesn't get out much."

Adrianna finally pulled her hand loose from his, stopping them in the alley. "Huh?"

His prior excitement gone, Brandyn sighed. "It's nothing."

"Try me." Adrianna raised an eyebrow.

"Okay," Brandyn folded his hands together in front of his mouth. "How do I say this without you going all crazy-Haddock on me…"

"Crazy-Haddock?"

"That's what they started calling you guys when you get upset. Especially your dad after that one village meeting. Hoo boy-"

"Brandyn, focus."

"Totally focused, princess," Brandyn snarked. "You don't get out much at all. Like, at all. So it's funny hearing you say that a person being too careful is a bad thing."

Adrianna shrugged. "It's not like I don't hang out with people because I'm afraid. We just have different interests."

"Then you need to either a) be more interesting, or b) find interests that are common to the group," Brandyn said.

"Why?" Adrianna frowned. "I don't _want_ to hang out with some of those kids on a regular basis."

Brandyn huffed. "I can't live in a box, Adrianna."

The girl moved back a step. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm a social guy, Anna. I get bored, I want to do things. There's nothing wrong with just sitting and talking, or hanging out while you read a book or something, but that seems to be a common occurrence." Brandyn said. "I'm not saying lose the stuff you like to do, but I am saying you should expand a bit. I want to spend time with you, but… you need to be more spontaneous."

"More spontaneous." Adrianna repeated.

"Yes. Because some of us want to do things a certain way in our lives and when we have that one friend who's a stick in the mud, we find ourselves in a precarious position." Brandyn stepped closer to her.

Adrianna shook her head. "I don't know what exactly you're trying to say. Are…" She gulped. "Are you… breaking up with me?"

"No!" Brandyn shook his head wildly, taking her hand. "Of _course_ not. But Anna, you've been distant lately. All you've done is read or spend time with Erick and I've gotten pushed to the sideline. What we have done together in recent weeks hasn't been all that interesting. I want to do things with you, but I'm a social, active guy, I want to do things. And I'd hate for it to come down to people avoiding you because you're not fulfilling their needs. I wouldn't want to lose you because you weren't doing your part."

Adrianna's heart pounded. It was like that conversation with her dad two years ago. If she didn't do what was necessary, she'd be eliminated from the equation. She wouldn't be important. She had to try harder. There was no way around it. She wasn't doing what needed to be done; she didn't have her priorities straight. She had to fix this.

"I'm sorry," Adrianna whispered. "I'll do better."

Brandyn smiled, cupping her face in his hands. "I know." He bent down and kissed her firmly.

Adrianna's stomach flipped. In seconds she felt completely incapacitated under his spell, like a fish out of water couldn't breathe, she couldn't breathe without him. She needed him and now she saw how much he needed her. She'd been unfair and rude to him for a week. Clearly it had affected him to the point of confrontation and it was high time she made it up to him.

Brandyn deepened the kiss, pressing her up against the wall. She sighed into his neck when he moved to her neck, kissing hot and fast against her skin. She pulled against his shoulder. "M-maybe a l-little too fast?"

Brandyn pulled away with a sigh. "Really?"

Adrianna's face flushed, completely flustered. She felt like she might pass out from pure ecstasy. He'd never kissed her like _that_ before. She swallowed. "S-sorry…"

Brandyn pursed his lips impatiently, but finally gave her a grudging nod. "We'll work on it."

She gulped, unsure how to take that comment. Any response was snatched away when a new thought occurred to her. "Hey, are you… worried about Erick?"

A strange look appeared in his eyes, like she'd crossed a line. "He'll be fine."

"I know, but I don't mean his leg." Adrianna said. "Are you worried about… us?"

Brandyn tucked a strand of hair behind her ear distractedly. "He can't compete with me."

Adrianna raised an eyebrow. "He's not trying to."

"No? You sure about that?"

"Yes." Adrianna said firmly.

It was Brandyn's turn to raise a skeptical eyebrow.

"I'm serious, Brandyn. My staying with him is out of pure worry and helping him heal…" Adrianna sighed. "He was my best friend since I was three and he was five. We've had so many stupid issues the last few years. He almost died! I couldn't stand it if he was gone and…"

"What would you have done?" Brandyn asked a little harshly. "What can anybody do when bad things happen? It wouldn't have made a difference to him because he would've been dead. But it sure has heck would've made a difference to me because I would've been shoved aside. He _didn't_ die and I was shoved aside. So what do you want me to say? Congrats for fixing your relationship with _him_ while mine…" He paused, checking his words. " _Ours_ got thrown to the wayside?"

"No." Adrianna said quietly. "I'm sorry that you felt that way. Honestly, I shouldn't have done that to you. But I promise you, I'm not going to dump you for him. It's not like that."

Brandyn rolled his eyes. "You still don't see it."

"See what?"

"The way he looks at you, Anna." Brandyn scowled, leaning against the wall beside her. "Everyone can see it. Why can't you?"

Adrianna swallowed. "Even if I believed you, you wouldn't want me to so why are you bringing it up?"

"Because I want you to be aware, Anna," Brandyn remarked. "I don't want…" He paused to swallow, as if he was nervous. "I don't want to lose you."

Finally, she realized the connection. He'd lost his father to a murderous scoundrel in a horrific way. It was no surprise that he was protective over those he cared about. It could be any moment that loved ones could be snatched away forever. She of all people understood what fear was. Everyone had a demon that they fought. Like he said, what can anyone do when bad things happen? His father's death was completely out of his control. He didn't want to lose her too.

Her heart melted. Adrianna bridged the gap between them and wrapped him in a tight hug. She had to stand on her tiptoes to reach past his shoulders. "You won't. Me and Erick might be rebuilding our lost friendship, but I'm _not_ going to dump you for him. You have nothing to worry about. I promise. And you know as well as I do that I take my promises very seriously."

Brandyn seemed to relax. "Okay. Thanks."

Adrianna pressed her lips to his neck, feeling his pulse flutter beneath his skin. "For you, anything."

* * *

Finn couldn't eat. He stared at the table in front of him with his hands clasped in front of his face, steadfastly ignoring every single person in the Great Hall. The tension in his stomach made him want to throw up.

He and his parents had talked for a while after breakfast. Finally they decided he should spend as much time with Hiccup as he could. One: he had to start making his rounds on apologies. Two: he could tell his dad didn't want him out of his sight. The last thing he wanted was to leave the house, but finally he agreed to tag along.

The late morning consisted of walking the village, talking to various people, ignoring glares and hushed whispers as they walked past. Finn wanted to crawl into a hole and die. He wanted to run away. But he didn't. He followed his dad wherever he went and did whatever he was told. He was tired of running.

His reunion with Gobber had been received with mixed feelings. First the old blacksmith had grabbed him in a bone crushing hug, thumped on the back a few times with an angry glare, and then maybe shed a few unmanly tears while yelling incoherently. It took Hiccup a few minutes to calm him down.

Word had spread through the village pretty fast regarding his return. But when his father shoved the Great Hall doors open, nearly every eye had turned to them. Hiccup had straightened, daring anyone to speak up as he led his son to a far away table. Finn had ducked his head, ignoring everything imaginable.

A few loud laughs caught his attention. He looked over in time to see Cale lean across the table and whisper something to Dana, Brandyn and Adrianna. The red-headed girl cackled and gave him an obnoxious smirk. Brandyn spared Finn a short glance, but the mocking disapproval was easy to read in his eyes. Adrianna gave Cale a withering gaze and said something that made Brandyn spit his drink in laughter.

Finn faced the table, running a hand over his face. He hated everything.

"You should try to eat something." Hiccup said softly from the seat across from him.

Finn shook his head. "I can't."

Hiccup tapped his cup against the table. "When was the last time you ate?"

Finn didn't reply. Another cackle of laughter erupted from nearby and he buried his face, feeling it flush beneath his hands.

"Finn-"

"Dad, why am I in here? I can't do this."

"Look at me."

Finn took a shuddering breath and removed one hand, shamefully hiding his face from the other kids. His dad's eyes were filled with compassion though. He jutted his cup toward the kids.

"They're not important. Except your sister. Don't worry about them."

"Dad, I'm the talk of the village. This is why I wanted to stay home."

"I know." Hiccup nodded. "But you have a lot of guts showing your face out here in public, even if it is humiliating. If those kids were in your shoes, they wouldn't have that kind of strength."

"They don't even look guilty for the stuff they did." Finn chanced a glare at Cale.

Hiccup sat forward. "That's the catch, isn't it? The difference is your character. Some of these kids don't care what they do. They'll serve the time for their punishments, but it won't make a difference. They're destined to be sad, lonely people." Finn swallowed at the thought. "But you," His dad continued. "I know true remorse when I see it, Finn. I know you want to change. All you need is guidance."

Finn nodded miserably. "So guide me. What do you want me to do?"

Hiccup smiled. "Do you know why I brought you in here?"

"I trust it wasn't to be cruel."

"Come on, there's always a method to my madness." The chief smirked. "No, the reason I-" A hand clapped him on the shoulder and instantly his focus was on the man whispering something into his ear. "Oh, no that's fine. If you could inform Snotlout and Fishlegs on that that would be great. Thanks." Hiccup turned back to his son and continued as if he hadn't been interrupted, "I brought you in here because I wanted you to see all this."

"All of… what? The people whispering and staring at me?"

"Partially. Look around the room, Finn. Don't focus on the gossip. What do you see?"

Finn turned in his seat and scanned the room. Nearly every seat in the Hall was filled. Children ran through the aisles, chasing Terrible Terrors. A few kitchen hands bustled through the room carrying mugs or plates of food to take to the elderly who couldn't stand in line. Cooks were working hurriedly to get more food onto platters. Mothers consoling or doting on their children, like Svala and Ava. Fathers keeping their children in line. Various councilmen gathered at tables, deep in discussion about Thor knew what.

"People." Finn said. "Lots of people."

"Exactly," Hiccup nodded, turning to face the Hall openly. "Look at them all. Every single one of them looks at us for guidance. Me, your mom, even you and Adrianna. They're watching all of us."

"Why would people want guidance from me or Anna?"

"Because you're the future leaders of Berk," Hiccup said. "Even if your sister doesn't become chief one day, she still has a big role to play. She doesn't know that yet. They're watching how you respond to problems, how your leadership skills are, how you treat people." Finn looked at his dad. "They're judging your character. And when the time comes, if they don't think you're fit for the job, you might not get it. Or keep it."

Finn nodded in understanding. "Just because it's a birthright doesn't make it a right."

"Right." Hiccup rubbed his neck. "I won't lie to you, Finn. This is hard. I have to know every single one of these people's problems because to them it's important. Even if I have to delegate and send someone else to do the work, I still have to remember it. I have to get back to them and tell them the results. I have to be patient when little things get brought up repeatedly and I have _so_ many other things going on. Like when we were kids, Mildew always nagging my dad about his cabbages. Seriously, you're going to bug Stoick the Vast about your stupid cabbages every day when he's got a hundred other things going on?"

Finn laughed a little. "Yeah… Speaking of Mildew. His house was the hideout."

"Already taken care of," Hiccup waved a hand. "But you see my point."

"Yeah. I guess I didn't make your life easier. I'm sorry."

"It's over now, buddy. Your mother and I have forgiven you." Hiccup reached over and squeezed his shoulder. "Now here's the problem: you've upset a lot of people in here. You've broken a lot of trust. What do you suppose you should do now to make it right?"

Finn swallowed. "Apologize."

"Yes, but what else?"

Finn searched his addled brain for a response. "Um… I…"

"First, fix those broken relationships." Hiccup said. "I know there are a few that are worth salvaging."

Finn thought of Erick and Adrianna. He was sure there had to be a few more.

"Second, rebuild trust." The chief said. "Some people are forgiving by nature, like me. If someone is truly repentant, I can't stay mad. But others are going to take time."

"Like Anna."

"Like Anna, yes. She needs proof that you're different, that you want to change. We Vikings are stubborn after all. There's going to be a handful of people in here that aren't going to be too happy with you for a long, long time."

"Great." Finn sighed.

"If you want people to trust you Finn, you have to rebuild that trust. Whether it takes you two weeks or two years to rebuild that trust, it will be worth it in the end because you will have earned their respect. Am I right?"

Finn nodded fervently. "Whatever I have to do. I want to make things right."

"That will be up to them. So, to make things easier for you," Hiccup reached into a pocket in his suit with a smirk. "I compiled a list of all the people you've upset one way or another."

"Aw dad…"

"Now now, this is purely to keep you on track. I don't want you to forget someone and then there's a feud I have to break up later on because someone got bent out of shape. 'Your son apologized to them but not me, I've got a real bone to pick with you chief, nyeh nyeh nyeh!' No. No, thank you." Hiccup slid the paper across the table with finality.

Finn snorted and shook his head at his father's sassing. He always forgot just how goofy his dad could be. He smoothed out the list of names.

"This is random but… You were saying something to me and that guy interrupted you." Finn said, looking up from the list. Hiccup's face was impassive. "You gave him your full attention, responded, and then turned back to me as if there'd been no interruption. How'd you do that?"

Hiccup chuckled. "You learn to think in multiple strings if that makes sense."

"No."

"O-kay then," Hiccup sighed. "Like I said, I've got a million things going on. For instance, there's a winter storm rolling in later today. So this morning we got the ships brought in, half the barns closed up, yaks and sheep brought in, storm doors down to protect the dragon pens. But in the meantime I've delegated the final harvesting jobs to Snotlout and Fishlegs. That gentleman told me about the final fish counts, so I guided him to the other men. Your mom's boarding up the arena before she reports back to me. Then there's keeping tabs on Erick, Tuffnut and Svala's house to make sure it's stable enough for a new storm because I'm paranoid, keeping an eye on your sister and her boyfriend-"

"Okay okay okay!" Finn waved his hands. "To sum up, you delegate and keep a to do list in your head."

Hiccup shrugged. "Something like that."

"Eesh."

"I should let you be chief for a day. My dad did something like that once."

"Ugh, really?"

"Yeah. It's a lot harder than you think. But you'll do well one day."

Finn frowned. "But Anna's in line now."

"For now." Hiccup said while studying his daughter from afar. Finn heard her laughing but kept his eyes on his dad.

"I'll make it up to her." Finn said determinedly.

Hiccup raised his eyebrows.

"I mean it. She doesn't deserve this. It's not what she wants."

"I know that, Finn." Hiccup sighed. "I'm very aware of what she needs and doesn't need. But I also know what's best for you and right now, the best thing for you is prioritizing." He tapped the list. "One thing at a time. Addie will come around."

"How do you know?"

"Because you're going to fix things. You're my strong little man. You always pull through."

Finn smiled sheepishly and pocketed the paper. He drew in a deep breath and looked at a certain blonde in the crowd. "Well. Best get started then."

Hiccup smiled proudly. "Good man."

"Thanks dad." Finn jumped out of his seat and began walking away. Pausing, he walked back and gave Hiccup a weirdly angled hug from behind. "Love you."

Hiccup laughed and patted his arm. "I love you too, bud. I'll be hanging around. Try to eat something."

"Okay, okay." Finn turned and walked back into the crowd.

"Aww wasn't that sweet," Dana drawled. Cale snickered cruelly.

For once, Finn didn't feel a bit awkward about the hug in front of so many people and he wasn't ashamed. His father loved him despite his actions. He loved his father. There was no shame in that. He wouldn't run from it.

He turned and looked at Dana like she had two heads. "When's the last time you were genuinely cared about, Dana?"

Dana's face reddened as the other kids gaped. Even Brandyn stared up at him.

"Finn?" Adrianna gasped.

"What?" Finn asked indifferently. "I'm sorry about a lot of things and I will gladly apologize. But if there's a single person on this island who I owe everything to, it's that man right there. Don't patronize me."

Brandyn shook his head. "You've got a lot to learn if you think cutting other people down is the way to making people stop."

Finn shrugged. "So I'll learn. But you're not exactly sticking up for anybody either, are you? Don't get all high and mighty with me."

"Okay, Finn, we get it." Adrianna said tersely.

Finn opened his mouth, then thought better of it. Exhaling heavily, he turned and walked away. He imagined the looks on their faces on him turning down an argument. He never backed down from an argument. He especially never let his sister talk him down.

He focused back on the blonde girl talking to Taryn and some other girls. He marched up their circle and gently tapped Helga on the shoulder. She turned and her eyes widened.

"Hi." Finn said nervously. "Can I… talk to you? Privately?"

Helga bit her lip, glancing at Taryn. The girl gave her an encouraging smile and nodded gently. Helga sighed and nodded, leading her way to the door. Finn nodded gratefully at Taryn and followed her outside.

They stopped at the edge of the stairs between two pillars. Helga crossed her arms and stared at the ground. "You wanted to talk?"

"Ah… yeah." Finn shoved his hands in his pockets. Shoot. He hadn't actually thought through what he wanted to say. He gulped. "I… Um…" He stared at his shoes.

"Spit it out, Finn. What do you want?" Helga asked, a hint of anger in her voice. "If you dare try to ask for me back, I'll break your nose."

"What? No!" Finn shook his head. "No, no, I…" Steeling himself, he looked her in the eye and said, "I'm sorry. For everything. I was a jerk, I… I was abusive and mean and…" He looked down, his eyes burning. "And I hurt you. Physically and emotionally. I shouldn't have done that to my friend. Can… can you ever forgive me?"

Helga's eyes were wide, brimming with tears.

"We don't have to talk or even see each other if you don't want to." Finn wiped his face with a wrist. "I just don't want to live knowing I never apologized."

Helga shook her head. "Aw Finn." She stepped forward and pulled him into a hug. He hadn't been expecting it at all. Once again he'd expected to be slapped for his crimes. "Of _course_ , I forgive you." Helga said through her tears.

"I don't deserve it." Finn said into her shoulder.

"Nobody ever does. We'll fix this though," Helga stepped back. "We'll get you back on track-"

"No." Finn rubbed his face. "There is no back on track. Things are torn down. Now it's rebuilding."

"Oh." Helga nodded. "Well, it's a process then. It probably won't be easy."

"No. It won't. But I'll do whatever I have to do." Finn looked at her. "Can I do anything for you?"

Helga lightly rolled her eyes and smiled. "Talk to me."

Finn smiled. "Yeah. I can do that."

Helga hugged him once again. "I'm glad you're back. When word got around that you weren't coming back ever, I was really worried. And sad."

"Sorry. I won't do it again."

Helga stepped back and punched his arm. "You'd better not." She nodded to the Great Hall. "Do you want to sit with us?"

Finn shook his head. "Thanks but there's someone else I need to talk to."

Helga smiled knowingly and nodded. "Come find me if you need a friend."

"Will do. Thanks Helga."

Finn watched her go back inside and exhaled. He scratched Helga off his mental list. He turned toward the open village and sighed. The next apology would be the hardest for him to swallow.

* * *

Erick wasn't sure if he should be elated or confused. Not only had his mother apologized to him, but she'd also spent the entire morning with him and hadn't stopped talking almost the whole time. She was still his mom, of course. A little brash at times, but he could tell she was trying. It seemed his contest with death shook her up a bit.

He finished another beaded bracelet as she chattered about something the ladies were doing later on when they heard Mara exclaim loudly from outside the curtain. The Larsons listened intently to her hushed whispers. After nearly two minutes, Erick went back to his bracelet. Whoever had entered the healers clearly wanted to have a hushed conversation with the dark-haired woman. He didn't much care.

But then he heard Mara sigh in resignation: "Fine. He's in there, but don't touch him or I'll rip your fingers off."

Erick eyed the curtain suspiciously when it rustled. A fifteen year old boy emerged and stood in the doorway, and his breath hitched. Finn.

Dots danced in his vision for a moment. A flash and he could see the mill, the other teen attacking him. His newly severed leg panged in agony. Then he saw his room, but his mother was looming over him.

"Erick? Honey, can you hear me?"

Erick shakily nodded, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"Is he okay?" Finn asked.

"Get out!" Lara hissed. "He was fine until you walked in-"

"No, no, mom, it's fine." Erick managed. He tried to look at Finn, but couldn't for more than a second.

"Fine? You look like you just lost a pint of blood!"

Erick's stomach turned. "C-can we not talk about that please?"

Lara frowned. "What? Blood?" She winced and scowled at Finn. "Oh. I think you should go."

Finn stepped back. "I can come back-"

"No, you can stay away."

Erick grabbed his mom's wrist. "No! Finn, don't go." He looked up at his mom firmly. "Mom, I'm fine. Really. We need to talk. Can you… get me some tea or something please?"

Lara pursed her lips. He could see she understood his request to be alone with Finn. But would she allow it? She regally stared at the Haddock boy, who remained in the same spot by the curtain. "Fine. I'll give you some time alone. But _call me_ if you need me."

"Okay."

Lara gave Finn one last glare before exiting and swishing the curtain closed with finality. Finn swallowed at slowly looked at him. Erick felt a flare of panic rise in his chest, but he stamped it down.

"You can sit wherever you want."

Finn slowly walked to the nearest stool and sat down. His eyes darted to the blanket covering Erick's leg, and he felt his face rise with heat. He wasn't sure what to feel in front of the boy who'd inadvertently caused the accident.

After a few minutes of quiet, Finn cleared his throat. "I think we got off on the wrong foot."

Erick cocked his head in surprise.

Finn's eyes widened. "No, wait. Ohhh Thor, that's _not_ what I wanted to say."

Erick smirked and shook his head. "Ohhhhh Haddocks."

"Ugh." Finn ran his hands through his hair.

"If I'm honest," Erick winced as he sat up more. "We got off on a lot of wrong feet. There were a lot of problems."

Finn nodded miserably. Even though the scene kept replaying in his head every time he looked at the other boy, Erick knew the look on Finn's face. Self-loathing. Guilt.

"I did this to you." Finn whispered.

"What's done is done. I can't get it back." Erick said quietly.

"No but I still did it. I was so messed up and I took it out on you and Anna and my parents." Finn said in a thick voice. He swallowed hard. "I don't know if there's anything I can do to make it up to you, but I am so _, so_ sorry. I'm a monster. You didn't deserve this and I never should've dragged you into the gang or any of it. I'm _so_ sorry."

Since the accident, Erick could feel the pulse of his heartbeat in the center of his severed leg. He wasn't sure how that was possible, but it was like beating a drum in a continuous, heated mass of mottled flesh. Even though he was on the road to healing, he felt like he could still feel the entire thing. Seeing Finn in the same room as him made him want to curl into a ball and cry. Mara and Adrianna had said his only nightmares had taken place during fitful fevers before he'd woken up. He hadn't had any flashbacks.

Finn was a trigger. He was hard to look at, so he focused on details of the teen's face rather than his wide blue eyes. He couldn't erase them from his memory. But he couldn't tell him either. Finn was repentant; he hadn't _wanted_ this. He'd never seen Finn look so remorseful about anything in his entire life. He couldn't push him away, even if it caused him pain.

Erick slowly exhaled, calming his nerves. "I know you are. That's why I haven't thrown you out yet. I know it was an accident."

Finn bit his lip. "You should be pressing charges or something."

Erick smirked and shook his head. "I'm going to be cooped up in here long enough. When I get out, I'm not spending the first three weeks in Great Hall meetings."

Finn gulped. "So…?"

"I forgive you, Finn. I know things have been hard for you. It's been hard for me too. I wasn't on a great path myself until recently." Erick said. He thought for a moment before pulling back his shirt sleeves. Finn's eyes widened at the dark healing gashes on his forearms.

"I… I didn't know it was that bad."

"You suspected though, didn't you?"

Finn winced. "Yeah. But… not that many."

Erick crossed his arms across his chest and thought. "We're a lot alike you know. We can't relate in every way, but we've had hard losses. We've experienced things that most kids haven't. Plus your parents have shown both of us tons of love to help us with our problems. What do you say we put these differences aside and be friends already?"

Finn visibly relaxed. "Do you want me to do anything?"

"Yes." Erick smirked. "I want you to give me a hug."

Finn laughed. "Oh fine, if I must." Leaning forward, he embraced Erick like a brother.

"Differences aside. We're starting over right now." Erick said firmly.

Finn nodded. "You got it." Pulling back, he wiped his eyes and sighed.

Erick settled against his pillows. "Let it hereby be known that today I have made Fearless Finn cry."

Finn snorted. "You kidding? I don't think I've stopped crying all week."

"Yeah, I feel ya there."

"So… how is it?" Finn nodded to his leg.

Erick winced. "It's okay. Can't wait for this stupid storm to blow over."

Finn looked down at his lap. "So you... uhh..."

"I get twinges before and during storms? Yes." Erick said, slowly. "Part of the fun of being an amputee. But Hiccup says I'll get used to it."

"Do you think you will?"

"I hope so." Erick exhaled as the pain ebbed.

Lara came bustling back into the room carrying two mugs of hot tea. "I trust you've said what you needed to say?"

"What? Oh yeah." Finn nodded. "I'll just go."

"You don't have to." Erick called as Finn left his seat.

"I do." Finn shrugged, noting that Lara had intentionally not made him any tea. "I guess... I'll come back?"

"Sure. I've got to do _something_ to stave off the boredom." Erick patted a stack of books, including a haphazardly placed sketchbook.

"Ahh, you'd probably rather see my sister." Finn waved a hand.

"I mean I guess I would but we've been best friends since we were little so that's nothing person." Erick shrugged.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" asked Lara impatiently.

"Yes. Later, CK." Finn waved once before exiting out of the curtain and running into a small person with dark hair.

"Woah, sorry... Inga?" Finn raised an eyebrow at the younger girl. "What are you doing here? Are you and Erick friends now?"'

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you what _you're_ doing here?" Inga crossed her arms. "I thought you were gone forever."

"Well I was. I mean I was going to. But then I came back." Finn clapped his hands awkwardly. "So... yeah."

"Oh. Okay." Inga rolled her eyes and tried to push him aside so she could enter through the curtain.

"Wait, wait!" Finn held out his hands. "Hey, I just wanted to apologize for how I treated you. I shouldn't have acted like your uhh... problem is the only reason anyone should be nice to you. And I'm sorry I made fun of your hair. It's really nice short. You should keep it."

He stared into Inga's arctic blue eyes, hoping that she would accept his apology as had Erick and Helga. She looked surprised, though he supposed he should expect that.

"Okay." Inga said about a very tense silence. "Can I check on Erick now?"

"Wait, do you work here?" Finn asked as he stepped aside.

"Yes." Inga nodded once before brushing past him. She stopped just before entering the curtained area and turned back to him. "Mark my words, Fearless Finn, cross the line again and I'll take you down so fast, you won't know what hit you."

Finn felt the corners of his mouth turn up in a smile. He hadn't realized how much he had missed Inga's sass until now.

"Well spoken." he nodded.

Inga smirked. "Good." she said before ducking out of sight through the curtain.

Finn's smile remained on his face until he had arrived at the front door. As soon as he pulled it open, a blast of freezing air caught him off guard. The storm Erick and his father had felt was here. The Haddock boy marveled at how quickly the storm had struck.

Pulling his coat closer to his body, he trotted toward the center of the village. He watched his father and Toothless fly past, calling down to various people to get inside and close their doors. Finn looked around for Thornado, wishing to fly home instead of walk. It took him a few laps through the streets, but he finally found his dragon sitting on the cliff side, staring into the distance.

"Thornado!" Finn called, reaching his side. "Come on man, it's cold. Let's go home!"

The Thunderdrum eyed him warily, snorted and faced the ocean again. It seemed to Finn that the dragon was still miffed at being dragged across the entire Archipelago without much say in the matter. Finn sighed and knelt beside his dragon.

"Thornado, I'm sorry to you too. I wasn't fair to you and I haven't been a friend to you either. I don't want you to be mad at me."

Thornado grunted stiffly. Still he watched the open waters.

Finn watched his dragon carefully. The large blue beast seemed to stare out at the open expanse with longing. He didn't want to go inside away from the cold. It seemed he wanted to embrace it. He wanted… freedom.

The teenager swallowed hard and rested a hand on his dragon's side. "Thornado, do you want to go?"

The dragon finally turned to him. He still looked peeved, but he always looked peeved. Thornado gave him a silent nod before pressing his nose into the boy's hand. Finn's eyes welled up with tears. He didn't want his friend to go. Despite being forgiven by the few people he'd apologized to, he felt like his previous actions had done more damage to his dragon friend.

Thornado had always been there. He'd been his Poppy's dragon. He'd been Finn's first flight, even before Toothless. He could remember sitting in front of his Poppy, Thornado's blue scales glistening beneath him and the wind whipping his hair against his scalp. He remembered the freeing sensation of flying for the first time as a 4-year-old boy.

And now, eleven years later, his dragon was leaving him. He understood though. He knew what it was like to feel trapped, pressured. Slavery alone had taught him that some things could be stifling. Slaves can't leave whenever they want. But Thornado wasn't his slave. Thornado was his friend.

Finn sniffed, but held both his hands on his dragon's face. "I release you. Thank you for always being there and for being my friend. I'm sorry for everything. I guess… I'm not as good as your first rider."

Thornado's expression softened and he gently rumbled under Finn's palms. He stepped forward and nuzzled his scaly face into Finn's chest. The teenager embraced his dragon for the last time.

Finally, he stood and stepped back, wiping his face. "Will I see you again?"

Thornado seemed to smile, even in his own grumpy way. He nodded once as if to say _Of course, little man._

"Goodbye, Thornado."

Thornado stretched his wings, roared a final time and launched into the air. Finn stood at the cliff side, watching as his dragon flew away from Berk. He quickly became a little blue speck on the horizon. Eventually, he winked out of view into the distance.

Finn's throat tightened. He felt like his actions had once again ruined a life-long relationship, and this time, it couldn't be fixed. Thornado was gone.

A firm hand rested on his shoulder and squeezed. Finn turned toward his dad with teary eyes. Hiccup gave him a compassionate smile. "You did the right thing." Finn nodded and dropped his forehead onto his dad's shoulder. Hiccup hugged him tight, adding, "We'll get you a new dragon. It will be fine."

Finn sighed and shook his head. "I don't need a new dragon. I can't even take care of myself. I don't deserve one."

He felt his dad pause, but finally he agreed. "You're right. There's no rush." Finn felt a little sad when Hiccup released his arms and squeezed his shoulders. "It'll happen when you're ready."

Finn nodded miserably, feeling cold, weak and tired physically and mentally. He wanted nothing more than to curl up in his bed with four blankets and just sleep.

Sensing his crashing spirits, his dad wrapped an arm around his shoulders and led him toward Toothless waiting nearby. "Come on. Let's go home. You've earned some soup and rest."

"Not hungry."

"Not yet." Hiccup insisted as Finn slid into the saddle. "Take him home, bud. I'll be there shortly."

"Wait, you're not coming?" Finn asked. "What are you going to do?"

"Peek in on Erick and take care of a few other things."

"Well you take Toothless, I can w-"

"You're not walking." Hiccup said firmly. "I'll be fine. You're white as a sheet, Finn. I want you to go home, eat, and rest."

Finn realized how cold and tired he was. He wasn't hungry at all, but he suspected that if he ate even a little soup he might become ravenous. Finally, he nodded. "Okay."

"Good man." Hiccup smiled. "Take him home, bud. Tell your mom I'll be there soon."

"Okay."

Finn crouched low for Toothless to take off. They shot into the air and his dad shrunk in seconds. He vaguely wondered if his dad had ever gotten whiplash from a takeoff before. Probably. Finn felt his resolve crashing as he looked out at the ocean. This would probably be his last flight for a long, long time.

He had a long way to go; so many relationships to fix, apologies to make, people to placate, damages to repair. He knew his journey to restoration was just beginning, and it wouldn't be over for a long, long time.


	26. Zap

Much like the mighty Night Fury, time had a tendency to move at extreme speeds. Finn could have sworn it hadn't been very long since he returned home. And yet the village moved on, many people accepting his heartfelt apologies and almost as many refusing to look in his direction as they walked by. The boy knew it would be a long time before he regained their trust. Before he knew it, a week had passed and things were just beginning to settle. Erick had been fitted with a prosthetic and was learning to walk again. Cale and Frey continued with their community service projects. Finn had returned to work alongside Brandyn, who he was surprised to find was almost as hard a worker as he was. His parents were more affectionate than ever. There was always a hot meal when he got home after a long day of work. Astrid had even drawn him a warm bath after his first day back. Hiccup had tidied up his room. The boy had warm welcome at home, even if a certain blonde still gave him the cold shoulder.

Finn awoke to hear his parents talking in hushed voices as they left the house for separate engagements. His head throbbed, mostly because he still wasn't completely caught up on sleep, but he sat up. His first instinct, as it had been every morning since he returned, was to seek out some fish to feed his hungry dragon. But then the sinking feeling enveloped him as he remembered that his dragon was Thor knew were in the archipelago. Probably much happier now that he was away from his errant owner. The thought made the Haddock boy want to curl into a ball and cry. He had felt much more emotionally vulnerable since returning, heck, since _leaving_.

Kicking off his blankets, he shivered as he changed into his day clothes. Hiccup was going to have to rig up his heating system soon or the Haddocks would freeze to death overnight. Finn padded down the stairs and was relieved to see a fire already crackling in the fireplace. It gave him the sudden urge to relax on the couch and fall asleep again. Adrianna would surely think he was crazy to crash on the couch until a reasonable hour.

Suddenly, he had an idea. He hurtled over and dug through the pantry as quietly as he could. He certainly didn't have anything more important to do this morning. He could put his excellent cooking skills to use and prepare breakfast for himself and his sister. He pulled out a mixing bowl, where he threw together the ingredients for Adrianna's favorite breakfast, usually reserved for special occasions. The house was filled with the pleasant aroma of frying bacon, scrambled eggs, and chocolate pancakes. If Hiccup had fixed up the heating system, Finn knew the scent would be pumped directly into Adrianna's room, which would definitely wake her up in a hurry.

It seemed like an eternity until she finally descended the staircase in her pink nightgown and fuzzy slippers. Her eyes widened as she watched Finn scoop copious amounts of scrambled eggs mixed with fresh bacon onto a plate already occupied with chocolate pancakes. Finn grinned.

"Morning, sleepyhead." he called, holding out a plate. "I made breakfast."

"I see that." Adrianna said shortly.

Finn almost laughed at the dilemma that must be going on inside her head right now. On the one hand, she loved food almost as much as he did and she almost never had a breakfast _this_ good. On the other hand, she couldn't carry her food away from Finn without it getting cold quickly in the drafty upstairs or blustery day outside. She was going to have to eat in the main room and that meant talking to Finn.

"Come on, sis." Finn smirked and attempted to wave the pleasant aroma in Adrianna's direction. "You know you want it."

Adrianna bit her lip but finally conceded. She sauntered over to her brother and took the plate from his hands.

"There you go. And you're welcome for what may be the best breakfast you've ever had." Finn mock bowed to her.

Her mouth turned up in a half smile. "Don't push it, Finnegan."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Finn sat down on the hard chair closer to the fireplace and nodded to the couch. "Go on, sit down. I know you don't like dining alone."

"I..." Adrianna sighed. "I guess."

She slowly walked over to the couch, eyeing Finn like he might be an impostor. Finn gave her an exaggerated friendly smile. She rolled her eyes and sat down.

"The Fearless Finn I remember would sprawl out on the comfy seat and get irrationally annoyed when someone else wanted to sit down." she stated, staring at her food as if it was a fascinating book.

Finn let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah. Dumb kid, that Finn."

Adrianna suddenly looked up. "How do I know this repentance thing isn't just another ploy for attention?"

Finn's eyebrows jumped into his bangs. He hadn't expected her to ask the hard questions so soon. "I guess you can't know unless I prove it." he admitted.

"It's just..." she put down her fork and looked directly into his eyes. It was a bit intimidating. "A month ago, you were vandalizing the town and insulting dad to his face and everything. Now you're hugging him in public and crying in front of people and apologizing for everything." Finn rather thought she was answering her own question but he knew the consequences would be dire if he vocalized _that_ particular thought. "How do I know you're not doing this to make it even more painful for them when you suddenly turn and are worse than before?"

Finn stared at her with wide eyes. He honestly hadn't even considered that line of thought. "Well, to be honest, I'm not smart enough to come up with a plan that underhanded or ingenious."

Adrianna breathed a laugh. "Apparently."

"I probably would have done it, come to think of it." Finn felt sick in the pit of his stomach at the thought. "Make it hurt more. Sounds like me."

"So how do I know you're not?" Adrianna pressed.

"I wish I had some kind of proof, Anna. I wish I could let you in my head so you could feel how sorry I am and how much I want to make it up to everyone." Finn said, his chest constricting. "And I wish you'd give me a chance."

Adrianna pursed her lips and stared down at her food. "I've been a really good sister, all things considered."

Finn didn't know how she was going to respond to that request but he certainly hadn't expected such an off topic statement. He raised an eyebrow. "Okay..."

"You were born first, you had the birthright. And did I ever, even once, get jealous of that? Did I ever complain that you got the attention and had the important job and I didn't? Did I get depressed because your name was going to go down in history and mine wasn't going to be more than a footnote?" Adrianna asked him.

"Uh... no." Finn shook his head. "But I thought you didn't want-"

"Too right I didn't!" Adrianna interrupted him. "And you're lucky for that. What if I had? What if it had been a power struggle from the beginning? What if I resented you for being born first? What if we'd both been boys and got into fistfights about it all the time? Did you ever think about that, Fearless Finn? Did it ever occur to you how lucky you are not to have to deal with that?"

Finn felt like he'd been punched in the chest. Of course it hadn't occurred to him. In all that time as the heir, as the child the villagers respected as their future chief, he'd never once considered that someone else might have been jealous of that title. That his own sister could have desired it too. That there would come a day when his parents would have to choose one over the other. How difficult would that situation have been? Twins, born mere minutes apart, vying for the most powerful position on Berk. It would have been a nightmare. He couldn't imagine his twin _hating_ him for something he couldn't even control. Trista _killed_ because of that power struggle and he could have had that same situation right in his own home.

"Wow, I..." Finn shook his head. "I didn't think about that."

"Maybe you should have before you left us." Adrianna said sharply. "Maybe you should have considered that I have my own hopes and dreams too, which I built up over a lifetime of _not_ being the heir, and they were _shattered_ because you almost didn't come back. And they might still be if this is all some stupid act." Finn opened his mouth but no sound came out. "Don't you get it? What you do affects everything for this village _and_ this family. If you think mom and dad have all the power, you're not paying attention."

"Anna, I'm _really_ sorry." Finn breathed, hit with sudden emotion again. "You're right. Benen used to say everything had a ripple effect, like a stone dropped into a pond, but I wasn't even paying attention when I was flying off and I didn't think that would affect you so much."

"No. You didn't." Adrianna shook her head. "And I'm upset with you. But..." she sighed. "I won't always be."

Finn perked up. "Wait so..."

"I want to forgive you, Finn." Adrianna told him earnestly. "And I sort of do now but I don't feel like I do. But I don't want to stay mad."

"So what do you want?"

"I want my brother back." she gave him a half smile as she thought about it. "I want to laugh out loud at the silly things you do and call you stupid names and do things _normal_ siblings do."

"So you want to just... hang out?" Finn smiled. "I'm down with that."

"Not _all_ the time." Adrianna continued. "But yeah. We were best friends when we were little. And I know we're really different now and we don't have to be super close but I... oh gods, I don't know, I just want _something_ more than this."

"Me too." Finn said. "Mom and dad'll be shocked right out of their saddles if they come home to us loving on each other."

"Right?" Adrianna laughed. "We used to team up on them sometimes. I remember, I ran one way and you ran the other and our parents had to split up to catch us for our baths."

"And you'd scream when they caught you." Finn nearly spat out his orange juice at the memory. "You remember that time you tried to convince them we didn't have a bathtub?"

"Gods, I forgot about that. Do you remember when you got hyped up on sugar and ran around the living room like a maniac?"

"Yeah! I couldn't stop laughing. Mom started tickling me!"

"And then dad nearly ran into you and you wiped out." Adrianna sighed deeply, a genuine smile on her face. "Good times. What happened?"

"For you, Erick. For me, probably the realization that I could roughhouse a lot harder with the other boys."

"And Helga. She was tough."

"She was." Finn agreed. "But you used to cry when I tackled you and pulled your hair."

"It hurt." Adrianna rubbed her scalp. "But I wish we'd done more together."

"We can now." Finn tossed a piece of bacon at her.

"That was pathetic, Finnegan." Adrianna rolled her eyes and grabbed a piece of bacon off her plate. "Watch and learn." she tossed it at him and he caught it in his mouth. "Most impressive."

"You couldn't do it." Finn teased.

"I could!" Adrianna opened her mouth.

Finn tossed another piece of bacon at her, which bounced off her nose. She snorted with laughter and caught the second piece in her mouth.

"Guess we're tied." she announced.

"Yep." Finn picked up another piece of bacon. "Just how mad do you think mom would be if she saw us doing this?"

"Very." Adrianna giggled, suppressing a hiccup. "And dad would want to join us until he saw her glaring."

"Ha, yes!" Finn lurched forward but the bacon bounced off his chin. "He'd probably win too."

Lily sauntered into the main room, yawning and stretching. Adrianna tossed her a piece of bacon, which she easily caught. Finn suddenly let out a shout of laughter.

"You remember that time Lily set the drapes on fire?" he chortled.

Adrianna snickered. "Yeah, mom was chasing her around the house with a broom while dad put out the fire."

"She was freaking out too, wasn't she new then? Then they made her go outside."

"Yeah, then she wailed to be let back in but they wouldn't let her until she learned her lesson." Adrianna patted her dragon's nose affectionately. "But she learned it."

"That she did." Finn agreed.

"Are you ever going to get a new dragon?" Adrianna asked him.

"Eventually." Finn felt a pang of sadness at the reminder but he shoved it down. "But I don't want to push it. I want him to trust me. And I want a fresh start."

"It's a good feeling." Adrianna said as she cooed and scratched Lily's chin. Lily flopped to the floor and rolled onto her back. "Careful, girl." she added as Lily's tail came extremely close to knocking over the hat stand.

"Please, wouldn't be the first time a dragon's knocked that over." Finn grinned. "Toothless puked on it once, remember?"

"That was _gross_." Adrianna nodded. "All four of us crammed into Benen's house that night because it reeked."

"That's when we found out he snored." Finn smiled but he felt tears brimming at his eyelids. "He never... he never believed us."

"Finn, are you _crying_?" Adrianna stopped rubbing Lily's belly to focus on him.

"Sorry, I... whenever I get to thinking about Benen lately, I can't help it." Finn sniffed and wiped his eyes. "I don't mean to, I just... I miss him."

Adrianna leaned forward and wiped his tears with a napkin. "I miss him too. I miss his treats and the way he used to laugh so hard, not caring what people thought."

"Yeah." Finn nodded. "He never did hold back."

Adrianna patted the couch next to her and Finn tentatively sat down. The twins stared wistfully into the fire, both thinking about their friend and how much he had meant to them. Finn wiped his eyes again as his tears finally subsided. A part of him was slightly frustrated that he was only now allowing himself to grieve over Benen. He had pushed it down for nearly two years but here it was, almost as raw as it had been just after it had happened. His heart ached horribly at the memories still surfacing in his mind but he was beginning to envy his sister. She had cried it out just after it had happened. He remembered hearing her sobbing in her room for weeks afterward. If only he had grieved too. Perhaps he would have it together by now the way she did.

"I used to think you were a dumb little weakling." Finn admitted after a while of reflective silence. "But you're not. You're one of the strongest people I know."

Adrianna breathed a laugh. "I doubt that."

"No, really." Finn nudged her, making her smile. "You've gone to hell and back and you still love and trust people. You still give them everything you've got."

"You get used to it." Adrianna shrugged. "When you've been hurt like that, you learn to see the best in people. Because most of them aren't out to get you."

"Yeah but you took it so well after Benen died. I mean you were sad, you cried, you locked yourself in your room with your books a few times, but then you just got over it." Finn gritted his teeth together so the tears wouldn't come back. "How did you do it? How come you figured out how to move on and I just... regressed?"

"Because you get angry about things." Adrianna stated. "And it was sudden and horrible and happened for no reason. And it hurt. I guess because I know that bad things happen to good people but you have it in your head that if you work hard enough, things like that won't happen at all."

"You were never angry?"

"Of course I was." Adrianna nodded. "I was furious. I was angry that it happened, I was angry that I didn't get any warning, that Benen died before I was even able to say goodbye... I went through that. I didn't lash out though. I wrote it down. Maybe you could too."

"Maybe." Finn put down his empty plate. "So what are you up to?"

"Babysitting Ava this evening. I was going to help Erick walk today. Shouldn't you be at the forge?"

"Half day." Finn shrugged. "Gobber wanted to show Brandyn something. Probably best that I'm not in the way."

"Want to come help Erick walk?" Adrianna asked. "We're all getting together to cheer him on. Mara thinks he might be able to walk without help today."

Truthfully, the last thing Finn felt like doing was watching Erick suffer through learning to walk again but he nodded. He was going to have to get used to this new reality.

"Cool. I'll get dressed and we'll head right over." Adrianna handed her plate to Finn. "I trust you know how to do the dishes."

"Very funny." Finn stuck his tongue out at her. "I might be able to figure it out with my pea sized brain."

Adrianna patted the top of his head. "Good boy."

She laughed at the withering look he gave her and pounded up the stairs. Finn grinned as he collected the dishes and scrubbed them off in the barrel of water near the back door. He hadn't thought it would be so easy to convince his sister to forgive him. He knew they would still bicker sometimes, all siblings did, but he couldn't help but hope that he would be able to make up for lost time. He truly was lucky to have a sister like her. He only hoped that she was just as lucky to have him as a brother.

* * *

Cliff didn't think he would have nearly as much fun with best friend who was forced to stay in one place as he did with Erick. The two of them played games together, got into ridiculous debates, and even bantered with Inga a fair few times when she was around. She usually won such silly bantering sessions with her quick wit and copious amounts of sass that could only come from the Jorgenson blood running through her veins. If he didn't know that Inga was Finn's future bride, Cliff might have been attracted to such a strong personality.

The Smedley boy had made a record _three_ female friends in the short week since Finn's return home. Inga was the first, of course. Then there had been the much tamer Taryn, who was very sweet and always laughed at his jokes. He liked a girl who thought he was funny. Finally, he and Adrianna had gotten to know each other very well. She was almost as witty as Inga and sarcastic enough to do her Haddock heritage justice. Her dry humor was nearly lost on him but it was quite entertaining to watch her and Erick snark at each other. He had once thought her to be a melancholy, tragic heroine kind of person. He was pleasantly surprised to find that she enjoyed silly conversations and banter. And with Hiccup and Astrid showing up every few hours, Cliff had never had the opportunity to get to know such fascinating people.

Erick's walking had improved since he received his prosthetic. He winced when he put any weight on his stump but he had managed to walk across the room and back with minimal support. Today was the day Cliff had been looking forward to for the last few days. All of his friends had an open schedule so they were going to meet up to help Erick walk and cheer him on. Erick was truly blessed to have so many supportive friends. Cliff could only hope they would come to love him as much as they loved the youngest Larson.

"Up you go!" Cliff chirped as he helped Erick out of the wheeled chair. "Don't want to look lazy in front of your posse."

"I will get up if you stop calling them a posse." Erick smirked at him. "We're not out lassoing horses or getting ourselves locked in a poorly guarded prison."

"You read too many weird books." Cliff commented as he helped Erick strap on the prosthetic. "You need to get out more."

"That's why I'm trying to walk again, Cliff." Erick narrowed his eyes at his friend. "So I _can_ get out more."

"Yeah yeah, you keep saying that. But I'm getting antsy, bruh. I need my grand adventures." Cliff clapped Erick on the shoulder.

"I'm so sorry my foot being ground up like a slab of meat is cramping your style." Erick deadpanned. "I'll try to do better."

"Aw come on." Cliff rolled his eyes. "I'm not _that_ selfish."

"I know you're not." Erick replied. "Still fun to mess with you."

"Yeah, let's see how much you can walk when I let you go for being a butt." Cliff nudged his friend, who stuck his tongue out at him.

"I'd like to see you try to walk on this." Erick lowered his prosthetic to the ground with a _thunk_ reminiscent of Hiccup's walk.

"It's not easy." Hiccup said as he pulled back the curtain to reveal the rest of the healer's house. "But you get used to it. 'Til then, you have to challenge yourself to do a little more each day."

Cliff snatched a pencil off of Erick's nightstand and tossed it across the room.

"What was that for?" Erick yelped indignantly.

"Fetch!" Cliff pointed to the pencil, which was still rolling away. Erick blinked at him. "You need to exercise! Challenge yourself! You must be stable on two legs to propose to Anna one d-"

"Cliff. Pencil. _Now_." Erick's face reddened as he pointed to the pencil.

Cliff made a face. "Fine." he sulked, crossing the room and grabbing the pencil.

"For the record, that's not what I meant." Hiccup told him. "He's not a dragon, Cliff."

"I should hope not." Inga announced as she entered the room. "I've cleaned up after him enough. Last thing I need is to wipe fish goo and dragon drool off the bed."

"Speaking of, how's Charger?" Erick asked Hiccup. "Is he doing okay?"

"He's extremely antsy." Hiccup replied with a sigh. "He misses you. Cries at night sometimes. We take turns sleeping in the living room next to him when he gets upset but I think he's okay."

"Is Finn still flying with him?"

"Yeah but those two are not a good match. Charger snapped at him the other day." Hiccup snickered. "It was his own fault though."

"Oh? Was he showing off?" Inga asked with a smirk.

"No. He doesn't really show off anymore. I've kind of missed that, come to think of it. Anyway, Charger was eating something he shouldn't and Finn tried to wrestle it away. Stupid thing to do." Hiccup shook his head. "But it didn't even bleed. Bruised up pretty bad, good thing it was his left hand."

"Well Charger's _my_ dragon. I'm the only one who can get him to stop eating furniture."

"He eats furniture?" Taryn made an appearance, smiling at the forming group within the healer's house.

"Not anymore." Erick shook his head. "Well I think I can get started trying to walk on this thing now."

He leaned heavily on Cliff and slowly stood. Cliff couldn't help but notice just how much pain Erick must be in. But before his best friend could take a single step, two more people entered the room.

"Sorry, did I miss anything?" Adrianna panted. "We got carried away."

Erick's face noticeably brightened at the sight of his closest friend. Cliff smiled knowingly. Here Erick was, suffering through agony but _still_ grinning at her. And the flower she'd placed in her hair was certainly a blast from a much happier past. Of course, Finn's presence did add a tension to the room but Erick only had eyes for Adrianna.

"Hey." he breathed. "You look nice."

"You think so?" Adrianna touched the purple flower in her ponytail.

"Yeah. I like the flowers." And _there_ were the dimples. Erick's face went slightly pink and he averted his eyes. "So what's the plan? Why are so many people here?"

"Well it was my idea." Hiccup explained. "I'll stand against this wall here. Inga and Cliff can stand on Erick's right while Taryn and Addie can stand to his left. If he needs help, there'll be someone close by on either to catch him."

"And you?" asked Inga. "What are you and Finn doing?"

"Finn is here to watch." Hiccup smiled at his son. "I didn't think he'd come today. And I'm here to be the end of the line and help turn Erick around when he gets to me."

"I feel like a toddler." Erick quipped. "You sure I can handle this, _dad_?"

Hiccup beamed. "I know you can. I was out for 2 weeks after my incident and it's been about 2 weeks for you too. But I'm not expecting anything groundbreaking. I'm a fast healer."

"You've got a good thing going, man." Cliff patted Erick on the back. "Three lovely ladies to catch you if you fall."

Erick laughed. "Yeah, ever guy dreams of having his foot decimated just to fall into the arms of the only three girls who can stand to be around me."

"You're lucky, mate." Finn called from across the room. "These three ladies would let me fall on my face."

"And then laugh at you." Inga added.

"Too true." Finn agreed.

"I get it." Erick smiled but the dimples didn't return.

"So let's stop talking and make this boy walk!" Cliff gave Erick a gentle push so that he stood, wobbling on his prosthetic.

"All right, small steps." Hiccup coached. "Hands out for balance, good, like that."

Cliff watched Erick slowly but surely walk across the room. But the journey wasn't without a stumble. Erick lost his balance and fell sideways onto Adrianna.

"Sorry!" he yelped, his face going scarlet. "I didn't mean to... I'm sorry, Annie."

"That's why I'm here." Adrianna smiled warmly at him and helped him stand up again. "You're doing great."

Adrianna wiped his forehead with a handkerchief before helping him regain his balance and continue walking toward Hiccup. When he finally reached the Hooligan chief, he smiled.

"See? Gets a little easier every day." Hiccup held his shoulders to keep him balanced. "You all right to walk back?"

"I think so." Erick panted.

Hiccup helped him turn around and gently pushed him toward his chair. Cliff couldn't help but notice the beads of sweat on his best friend's forehead. Erick's hands trembled as he slowly took each step closer to his goal. When he finally reached his chair, thankfully without running into everyone, he sighed in relief.

"Okay, I think that's about it for now." Hiccup said, grinning as he walked over to the youngest Larson. "We can try again this evening if you're feeling up to it."

"Yeah." Erick panted, sitting down on and looking a lot more comfortable. "I can't wait to be able to look people in the eye with ease. I feel short."

"Tell me about it." Taryn said with a wink.

"Okay, shorter." Erick chortled. "No offense to the vertically challenged."

"None taken. For now." Taryn patted Erick's head. "But I do like looking down at you for once."

"It is fun." piped up Cliff. "Looking at the world from your perch above everyone's heads. By the way, your flower is lovely, Miss Anna Banana."

"Yeah, I thought you didn't wear them anymore." Erick added.

"Well I figured I might as well smell nice if you fell on me." Adrianna sat down in a seat next to Erick so she was more level with him. "What do you know, you did."

"Yeah." Erick breathed, his dimples coming back.

Taryn clapped her hands together. "Well you should wear them more often, Anna. I'm pretty good with hair, you should come over. I'd love to get my hands on it sometime."

Adrianna's eyebrows jumped in surprise. "Yeah. That sounds fun."

"Ooh, girl time! There's something you need more of!" Cliff cooed.

"I couldn't agree more." said Hiccup, playfully tugging his daughter's hair. "Someone needs to tame these pretty locks."

"Why did we go from talking about helping Erick walk to my hair?" Adrianna asked incredulously. "I think our rehabilitating friend is more important."

"It's okay, chat about whatever." Erick shrugged. "My agonizing journey across the room and back is complete for now." he exhaled slowly. "I'm just happy to have the company."

"I think Anna having a girlfriend for once is revolutionary." Inga chirped. She snorted with laughter. "Wait no, that's not how I meant it, I meant a girl who's a friend, she's not... you know what I meant."

Finn spat out a mouthful of water. "Yeah, Anna, I don't need _another_ sister." he chortled.

"Shut it, lovebirds." Adrianna snapped at them, a smirk playing on her lips.

Both Finn and Inga rolled their eyes but avoided the accusation, as they knew provocation would result in more teasing.

"Why don't you and Taryn go paint your nails and talk about boys?" Hiccup suggested. "I think it'll be good for you."

"You should go too." Snotlout said as he sauntered in. "I think you'd look nice with green nails."

He clapped Hiccup on the back, grinning at Hiccup's withering gaze. The teens snickered.

"Ehh everyone knows red is his color." Tuffnut practically skipped into the room, his twin following closely behind.

"Okay, why is everyone crowding in here?" Erick asked, eyebrow raised.

"Well I'm here to pick up my child." Snotlout crossed his arms.

"I'm here because apparently Hiccup needs a makeover." Tuffnut stared intensely at his friend. "Yeah. I'm thinking blue tips on the hair. That'll look good."

"And rainbow nails!" Ruffnut added cheerfully.

Snotlout burst out laughing. "Yeah, that would look amazing."

"Ha ha. Very funny." Hiccup rolled his eyes. "You should go on tour with that act."

"Maybe dad can be your clown." Inga skipped over to her father. "I think he'd look good with curly pink hair."

"Or no hair at all." Finn piped up.

"Exactly." Inga agreed. "You should go with Anna and Taryn."

"Hey, we're not making fun of me right now, we're making fun of Hiccup." Snotlout protested.

"Oh I think we're making fun of you." Astrid said as she walked in. "I don't even need context to figure that out. You're an easy target."

The teens watched the adults bicker with some amount of fascination, moving their heads back and forth as if they were watching a game of high speed fetch. Cliff wondered if it had always been like that between them.

"Do you know what I do for your ungrateful people?" Snotlout asked indignantly. "I am the head hunter!"

"Sheesh, don't lob off mine." Cliff pulled his collar up over his neck as the others laughed.

"You know that's not what I meant! I meant I'm the hunter who is the head of all the other hunters! _And_ I do a ton of security and armory jobs!" Snotlout continued, gesticulating wildly. "My role in this village is irreplaceable even if I'm not the chief! So I think I'm owed a bit of respec-"

SMACK!

Snotlout went flying backward and slammed into a table full of folded clothes. Hiccup stood triumphantly over him, shaking off his open palm.

"That's two."

"Two _what_?" Snotlout bellowed over everyone's cheers and applause. "Why the- oh _gods_ , are you _serious_?"

"Oh yes."

"We made that bet _five_ years ago!"

"I've been holding onto them."

"Five years!"

"Figured they might come in handy!" he snorted. "No pun intended."

"He got you good, daddy!" Inga giggled.

"And it was totally within the rules." Adrianna added. "As Slap Bet Commissioner, my word is law and I did say he could slap you any time."

"Yeah, the nice thing about slaps is that they never expire." Hiccup shrugged and blew into his palm. "I mean it's no picnic for me, Snotlout, not only does it hurt my hand, that unsightly hand print on your face is no picnic to look at."

"Not that your face isn't already unsightly enough." Astrid added.

Snotlout growled loudly, only making the others laugh harder.

"Ahh the slap bet. Perhaps the greatest invention mankind will ever know." Ruffnut said dramatically.

"Too true." Tuffnut wiped tears of joy out of his eyes.

"This changes everything." Cliff excitedly turned to Erick. "Don't you understand, this solves all of our wager related problems!"

"I wasn't aware we had any..." Erick raised an eyebrow.

"Well Anna and I were going to hang out, want to come, Inga?" Taryn asked the younger girl.

"Dad?"

"Ugh, fine." Snotlout stood up, massaging his cheek. "But don't let the Haddocks influence you too much."

The girls left the room, chatting about shorter hairstyles for Inga. Hiccup watched his daughter go with an affectionate smile.

"Now I can breathe a little easier." he said with a sigh. "My girl can actually _be_ a girl."

"Well I came by to get you, Hiccup, you've got that thing at the Academy." Astrid put her arm around his waist.

"Oh yeah. Sorry folks, show's over." Hiccup allowed his wife to lead him out.

"Wait up!" Finn hopped to his feet and followed them out.

"All right, everyone, you've had your fun." Mara announced, bustling in and shooing them with a handkerchief in her hand. "But let's give this poor boy some air."

"All right, all right!" Ruffnut hightailed it out of there, Tuffnut at her heels.

"Looks like it's just you and me, buddy." Cliff turned to his friend and took a seat after Mara left again. "Which is good because we need to discuss a very important topic."

"Which is?"

"How you were looking at Anna." Cliff said unabashedly.

Erick's cheeks turned pink. "That's all right. I don't think that needs discussing."

"Oh please!" Cliff huffed impatiently. Why wouldn't this silly boy _listen_? "Everyone jokes about you two for a reason. You're perfect for each other! And don't tell me you don't feel it too. You can't even think about her without smiling."

Erick laughed nervously. "There's no point. She has a boyfriend. It's just a... a crush."

"Come on!" Cliff smacked Erick upside the head.

"Ow!" Erick rubbed his scalp indignantly. "What was that for?"

"Someone has to knock some sense into you! This, you and her, that's no crush. Gods, that's how Hiccup looks at Astrid! How my parents look at each other! That's mad, unending, devoted, passionate love right there and we're all going to explode if you don't do some grand romantic gesture to prove your love for her!" Cliff gasped when he was finished talking before he continued. "I don't want to hear any more excuses from you, Erick Larson! You love that girl, you should _fight_ for her!"

"I don't want to talk about this." Erick tried to wheel away but Cliff grabbed his arm.

"Fine. Then look me in the eye and tell me it's over. You have no feelings for her whatsoever. That it doesn't make you sick to see her with Brandyn." Cliff demanded. "If you can say that with all honesty, I'll never bring it up again."

Erick took a deep breath and averted his eyes. Yanking his arm out of Cliff's grasp, he wheeled into the next room over and shut the door.

* * *

Finn held open the door for his parents and followed them outside. Hiccup squeezed his shoulder when he stepped onto the dirt path and looked around the village. "How you feeling?"

"'m okay," Finn murmured. In truth it had been a long week. He was exhausted. But he knew his hard work was just beginning, so he wouldn't complain or quit. He wouldn't run himself into the ground again either though. He had to quit both extremes.

Astrid kissed his cheek. "We're headed to the Academy to go through some stuff in storage. Want to come?"

Finn thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Sure."

"Great." Hiccup smiled, ushering his wife and son forward. "Tuffnut was telling me the other day about all the old stuff he found in the closets, so we figured we'd go through it and see what we could find."

Finn hid a smile as his dad continued to prattle. He caught his mom's look of amusement and continued forward, listening intently. He'd realized earlier in the week that his dad's tendency to ramble meant he was in a good mood and happy to be with his loved ones. He became easily excited about things that interested him, so he naturally wanted to tell them all about it. He'd felt guilty upon the realization that his former attitude problems and telling his father to shutup all the time had been a slap to the face. No wonder his dad had always been so depressed.

Apparently most of the stuff found in the storage closets was old equipment from his parents' day. Finn's interest was piqued when the words "dragon racing" were mentioned.

"Dragon racing? What's that?"

Hiccup smiled knowingly. "We'll show you everything-"

A few shouts of surprise erupted behind them. Finn felt his parents stiffen on either side of him, but before he could turn around a massive being collided with him from behind. The air was knocked out of his lungs as he was thrust forward and upward.

Finn gasped in shock when his vision cleared. The village was shrinking at an alarming pace. He realized in horror that a dragon had its clawed feet wrapped around his upper arms and was flying away from Berk! Looking back as best he could, he saw his parents tearing through the village after their dragons and a few other riders taking to the sky to rescue him.

Finn struggled against his captor's blue claws. "HEY! Put me down, you big-" A big blue and green head leaned down in front of his face and chortled loudly. Finn gasped in complete shock. "You!"

The beautiful dragon he'd rescued chortled again and twisted in the air excitedly, nearly yanking Finn's arms out of his sockets. Her wings rippled with unspent electricity. "Hey, STOP! You're going to- WAIT WAIT WAIT!"

Finn screamed when the dragon suddenly let go of his arms. He plummeted through the air at top speeds, the village looming closer and closer. He heard Toothless's sonar whistle above him. He desperately hoped his father would rescue him before he became a Not-so-Fearless Finn pancake.

The blue dragon suddenly swooped in from the side, colliding with him. Finn yelled indignantly, grappling with her large, slippery neck to get a handhold. They were flying too hard, too fast; if he fell now, he'd be seriously injured, if not dead on impact.

Finally, he slung a leg over her neck, yanked her horns toward the open square, and commanded her to land. "DOWN!"

The blue dragon screeched indignantly at her fun being cut off so short. She zipped into the square, landing hard on her front feet. Having no saddle, Finn flew off her back and landed in the dirt, doing his best to bend his knees and roll so he wouldn't break anything.

Finn lay in the dirt for a few seconds panting. He heard running footsteps before someone rolled him over. Adrianna's eyes were as wide as saucers, her half braided hair coming undone. "Oh my gods, are you okay?"

The Haddock teenager coughed painfully and tried to sit up. "I taste my spleen."

"FINN!" Astrid sprinted to his side, her face white with worry. "You were thrown! Don't move!"

"Nothing's broken, I'm fine." Finn carefully sat up and looked around. He wiped his face and ignored the worried crowd, his eyes focusing on the dragoness cowering twenty feet away, surrounded by numerous dragons and their riders. Hiccup stood in front of her with his flaming sword. "Wait! Dad, she's fine!"

"Finn, slow down!" Astrid ordered, but he struggled to his feet.

Hiccup warily watched his son. "Finn, are you okay?"

Finn nodded and gestured for everyone to put their weapons down. "She's fine, she was just playing." The female dragon's head popped up when she saw Finn. Her tail thumped against the ground excitedly. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

"You know this dragon?" Snotlout asked from atop Hookfang.

Finn held out his hand, which the blue dragon accepted with gusto. "Easy! You've been alone too long, haven't you? You just wants love and attention!" The dragon bounced up and down in place, eagerly licking his face. Finn blushed at the witnessing crowd. "Yeah, I saved her from a trap somewhere."

"You didn't tell us you rescued a dragon." Hiccup commented as he stepped closer, looking her over. "She's beautiful."

"What is she?" Finn asked eagerly. "I've never seen a dragon like this before."

Hiccup held out a hand, which the dragon sniffed. She melted and nearly thrust her face into his arms. The chief laughed. "I could be mistaken, but I think she's a Shockjaw."

"Nah you're right," Finn snorted. "She definitely shocks."

Fishlegs stepped forward, nearly squealing in excitement. "A _Shockjaw_? We've never had one on Berk before!"

"Why not?" Finn asked, scratching her chin.

"They like warmer climates." Hiccup said, taking note of the small quills on her chin and throat. "Judging by her size and how easily excited she is, I'm going to say she's about… oh, eight or nine months old."

"That's it?" Finn asked in surprise. "She's pretty big for so young."

"She'll get bigger." Hiccup winked.

"Sweet…" Finn whispered. The Shockjaw sniffed his hair and clothes and he poked her nose. She stepped back and sneezed. "Ey, stop that." The dragon mewled and grabbed his sleeve, dragging him toward Hiccup. "Hey, seriously!"

"Yes, I know, this one's mine." Hiccup snickered, scratching her face.

"So what are we going to do with her?" Gustav Larson asked. "We can't trust a dragon that might carry someone off!"

"She won't hurt anyone," Finn said. "She was just excited to see me."

"Well if that's the case, _you_ keep her!" piped up Adrianna, who the dragon was greeting next.

The dragon turned to face him, her large teal eyes meeting his. As he stared into them, he couldn't deny the connection he felt with her. She was wild, crazy, and wise. She was the only thing that gave him the final push to come home. She kept him on his toes and challenged him more than Thornado ever had. She'd have to be trained, which might take effort due to her age and wild persona. But the more he thought about it, the more his heart longed to keep her.

He looked up at Hiccup and Astrid, who had knowing smiles on their faces. Hiccup shrugged. "It's fine with us."

A smile wormed its way onto his face and the Shockjaw suddenly jumped up and down with so much excitement, she started knocking barrels over. Finn laughed. "Okay, okay, relax!"

Astrid reached out to scratch her neck. "What's her name?"

Without pause, Finn grinned. "Zap."

* * *

Gobber was pulling yet another box out of the old dragon cages at the Academy when he heard the telltale chatter that only the Haddocks could achieve. He turned around to find Hiccup, Adrianna, and Finn in stitches over a story Astrid was telling. Their dragons hopped around them like excited kittens, Toothless warbling happily at his human's cheer and Stormfly screeching with Lily. An unfamiliar dragon trailed them, attempting to join the females in their conversation but constantly bumping Finn on the back. Gobber smiled knowingly.

"Oy!" he called. "Just can't keep it down, can you?"

"Do we have to?" Hiccup snarked, still chortling at the story. "I don't see a sleeping baby. Why can't I YELL FOR NO REASON?" he suddenly bellowed.

Gobber cuffed him on the back of the head. Finn snorted in amusement. "Yeh always were a rebel but do yeh have to teach the kiddies such bad habits?"

"My offspring, my rules." Hiccup informed him almost seriously. "So what have you got?"

"What have _you_ got?" Gobber nodded to Zap, who was attempting to sniff Stormfly's tail.

"Ahh. Gobber, meet Zap." Finn gestured grandly to the Shockjaw.

"A Shockjaw! Very impressive! Where'd you manage to find out of these on Berk?" Gobber asked, carefully approaching the baby dragon. Zap jumped in front of Finn and let out a warning growl. "Ohhhh stop." the elderly man waved his remaining hand. "I'm no threat to this chip off the ol' block."

"Yeah, he's okay, Zappy." Finn cooed to his dragon. Zap licked his face. "Eugh, let's keep the French kisses to a minimum."

"Well you have to practice with _someone_ , Finnegan." Adrianna sassed. "So you can be an expert when you're snogging Inga."

"Shut up, you." Finn snipped, now rubbing Zap's belly.

"Well now, seeing you Haddocks so happy and cheerful is a rare sight these days." Gobber smiled widely. "Usually you're at each other's throats. What's changed?"

"I think we all have." Astrid told him.

"And that's enough sappy sentiments for this old coot." Gobber opened the nearest box. "Let's see what we've got here. Ooh, here's a blast from the past, Hiccup." he extracted a small, brown vest. "Remember this?"

"Woah." Adrianna skipped over and took the vest from him. She held it up. "You wore this? It's so... so..."

"Tiny." Finn finished. "You were a toothpick!"

"I was, wasn't I?" Hiccup snickered, holding the vest up to his chest. "Well here's definitive proof that I was appropriately named."

"You were smaller than I remember." Astrid pointed out. "I don't even think Adri could fit in that."

"Okay, it's a small vest, what's next?" Hiccup tossed the vest next to the box as Gobber got out a large net.

"Dragon trap?" Finn asked, grasping part of it. "It's got little bits of wool in it though."

"Sheep net." Astrid replied. "For dragon racing. Why'd we stop doing that, anyway?"

"I don't know. I think we took it down because we were getting married in the arena." Hiccup pulled the rest of the net out. "Yeah, then we had our honeymoon and when it would have been a good time to start again, a certain pair of twins complicated matters."

"Wait." Finn crossed his arms. "You're telling me you played sports and only stopped because you weren't careful enough with your tea drinking?"

"Isn't it sad? That should be a lesson to the both of you." Astrid eyed the twins. "When you're married, don't just go crazy and drink your tea to avoid surprises."

"Okay!" Adrianna clapped her hands over her ears. "I don't need to know any more about old people love."

Hiccup immediately hopped over the box and put his arms around his wife. "You ain't seen nothin', not really." he said before dipping her for a passionate kiss.

"I'm with you two." Gobber rolled his eyes. "So while your parents are distracted, now might be a good time to rifle through their old rulebook."

He held up a loosely bound book with the title DRAGON RACING in the center. Finn snatched it out of his hand and turned to the first page.

"No changing the rules unless everyone agrees, that goes for you, Ruff and Tuff and Snotlout." he read out loud. "I mean it, don't change it."

"Thorough." Adrianna commented. "And you haven't even gotten to the rules yet."

"Well they had a habit of messing with our projects in the past." Hiccup explained, finally letting go of Astrid. "And we didn't want to go into a game of dragon racing only to find out they changed all the rules without us knowing."

"This game looks _awesome_." Finn exclaimed as he read through the rules. "Chasing sheep, running into each other, competing for points? Why didn't you tell us how cool you were?"

"I think there was a compliment in there somewhere." Astrid huffed.

"I think we should play it." Adrianna suggested as she read over Finn's shoulders. "You've got all the equipment here. And I bet we all could set it up in no time."

"Yeah, and that'd be a great way to blow off steam." Finn added with a grin. "A healthy way. What do you say?"

Astrid looked at Hiccup. "So what _do_ you say?"

"I say the kids are onto something." Hiccup patted Toothless on his head. "What do you think, bud? Ready to get out the war paint?" Toothless warbled excitedly in response. "I thought so."

"War paint!" Finn yelped. "Even better! I call red and black!"

"Good because I call purple and blue."

"Ick, purple and blue? Those aren't war colors!"

"Are too!"

"When's the last time an army dressed in purple in blue struck fear in the hearts of their enemies?"

"Who says I can't be the first?"

"You're hopeless."

"Well as far as spats between those two go," Astrid said, putting her arm around Hiccup's waist, "I think we could do worse."

"We could." Hiccup agreed. "Welcome home, Haddocks."

As the twins bickered over their war paint, Zap knocked over an entire box of loose screws, and they all chattered about how to set up the village to start racing again, Hiccup and Astrid couldn't help but smile. Their son was home, their daughter was happy, and they had a brand new dragon in the family. Life on Berk was finally due to improve more than ever in the next few years.

Sure, things weren't perfect. Finn had a lot of work ahead of him to prove his repentance to the village. But if there was one thing all four Haddocks knew, it was that even though things may not be ideal right now, they would continue to improve as life went on. And there was no reason to believe that their troubles weren't finally over.

* * *

_This is Berk._

_It's an adaptable place, often battered and covered in ice, but it's home to the strong and to the weak among us. Fortunately, we know more than most what strength and weakness entails._

_Strength cannot be measured in muscles or brawn but that doesn't mean the biggest among us cannot also be the strongest. We exhibit strength in our own ways, through our actions and through our convictions. The maturity to admit when we have wronged others and to make up for our mistakes often takes a tremendous amount of courage. Because to seek redemption, we must face the most terrifying parts of ourselves and conquer them before we can even think of trying to face off against the dangers of the world._

_It takes real strength to fight our own demons. And even more to overcome them. But I think we face a brighter future when we know the true meaning of what it is to be strong and to continue to learn from the strongest among us._

* * *

**THE END**


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